Springmoot is held each April on the weekend of the Tolkien Society’s AGM. The meeting itself only takes up a few hours on the Saturday afternoon, and is followed in the evening by the semi-formal Annual Dinner featuring a talk from a Guest Speaker and the announcement of The Tolkien Society Awards.
Springmoot takes place in a different location each year, often organised by members of a local smial. It usually begins with an innmoot (eating, drinking, and chatting in a local pub) on the Friday evening, and often ends with an organised tour of the town or local heritage site on the Sunday morning.
Guest Speakers
The Guest Speaker’s talk is often the highlight of the weekend for members. It is usually delivered by a Tolkien scholar, publisher, or artist. Past speakers include Tom Shippey, Priscilla Tolkien, Michael Tolkien, Brian Sibley, Rayner Unwin, and Ted Nasmith.
Each year we strive to stick with this high calibre history of speakers.
Previous Springmoots
| Year | Location | Guest Speaker(s) | Talk Published? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Jesus College, Cambridge | Andrew Higgins | TBC |
| 2023 | Radisson Blu Hotel, Edinburgh | Anna Vaninskaya | TBC |
| 2022 | The Rougemont Hotel, Exeter | Nick Groom | TBC |
| 2021 | Online | Verlyn Flieger | YouTube |
| 2020 | Online | Una McCormack | YouTube |
| 2019 | Ambassadors Bloomsbury Hotel, London | Members of the Society | YouTube: June Rosenblum, Mike Percival, Lyn Wilshire, Ian Spittlehouse, Elena Davison |
| 2018 | Kingston Theatre Hotel, Hull | Andy Orchard | YouTube |
| 2017 | Warwick Arms Hotel, Warwick | Mark Atherton | YouTube |
| 2016 | The Middletons Hotel, York | Alan Lee | YouTube |
| 2015 | Norfolk Arms, Arundel | Leslie Megahey | YouTube |
| 2014 | Baskerville Hall Hotel, Hay-on-Wye | John Garth | |
| 2013 | Comfort Hotel, St Albans | Lynn Whitaker and members | |
| 2012 | School of Education, University of Glasgow | Farah Mendlesohn | |
| 2011 | The White Hart Royal Hotel, Moreton-in-Marsh | Dimitra Fimi | |
| 2010 | Jury’s Inn Hotel, Brighton | Charles Noad | Mallorn 50 |
| 2009 | St Aidan’s College, Durham | Allan Turner | |
| 2008 | Leofric Hotel, Coventry | Edmund Weiner | |
| 2007 | The Astor Hotel, Plymouth | Roger (& Linda) Garland | Slideshow and Q&A |
| 2006 | The King’s School, Canterbury | Henry Gee | |
| 2005 | The Mayflower Theatre and Southampton Park Hotel | Brian Rosebury | |
| 2004 | White Hart Hotel, Lincoln | John Garth | |
| 2003 | Blossoms Hotel, Chester | Ted Nasmith | |
| 2002 | Moreton Park Lodge, Oswestry | Brian Sibley | |
| 2001 | Wortley Hall, Sheffield | Christopher Garbowski | |
| 2000 | New Inn Hotel, Gloucester | Patrick Curry | DPGT Volume 3 |
| 1999 | King Charles Hotel, Gillingham | Michael Scott Rohan | DPGT Volume 3 |
| 1998 | Plough and Harrow Hotel, Birmingham | Michael George Tolkien | DPGT Volume 3 |
| 1997 | Old Course Hotel, Chepstow | Colin Duriez | DPGT Volume 2 |
| 1996 | Lord Leycester Hotel, Warwick | René van Rossenberg | DPGT Volume 2 |
| 1995 | Cairn Hotel, Edinburgh | Charles Coulombe | DPGT Volume 3 |
| 1994 | The Lion Hotel, Shrewsbury | Joanna Tolkien | DPGT Volume 2 |
| 1993 | The Moat House Hotel, Nottingham | Mary Butler | |
| 1992 | The Waterfront Hotel, Hull | Colin Duriez | DPGT Volume 2 |
| 1991 | Maids Head Hotel, Norwich | Tom Shippey | DPGT Volume 2 |
| 1990 | Corpus Christi College, Cambridge | Rayner Unwin | DPGT Volume 2 |
| 1989 | Ship Hotel, Chichester | A.N. Wilson | |
| 1988 | Park Hotel, Cardiff | Graham Watkins | |
| 1987 | Queen’s Hotel, Leeds | Rob Inglis | |
| 1986 | Queen’s Hotel, Cheltenham | Geraldine Harris | DPGT Volume 1 |
| 1985 | St George Hotel, Liverpool | Douglas Gray | |
| 1984 | The Guildhall Hotel, Leicester | Jonathan Simons | |
| 1983 | YMCA, Cambridge | Tom Shippey | DPGT Volume 1 |
| 1982 | The County Hotel, Canterbury | Robert Giddings | |
| 1981 | Annesley Hotel, Lincoln | Brian Sibley Barbara Strachey |
|
| 1980 | Royal Station Hotel, York | Tom Shippey | DPGT Volume 1 |
| 1979 | Westmoreland Hotel, London | John Ezard David Fielder |
|
| 1978 | Grand Hotel, Birmingham | Rayner Unwin Tom Shippey |
|
| 1977 | Grosvenor Hotel, Chester | Michael Tolkien | |
| 1976 | Hampstead Town Hall, London | Priscilla Tolkien Humphrey Carpenter |
|
| 1975 | Bloomsbury Centre Hotel, London | Priscilla Tolkien Elizabeth Horrocks |
|
| 1974 | Ivanhoe Hotel, London | Rayner Unwin Austin Olney |
|
| 1973 | Sherlock Holmes Hotel, London | Joy Chant | |
| 1972 | Home of Keith Bridges, Welwyn Garden City | No Speaker |