Global Tolkien: A panel
— Sultana Raza, independent scholar; Ali Ghaderi, independent scholar; Gözde Ersoy, Assistant Professor of English Literature, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University; and María Fernanda Chávez Guiñez
Paper given 4 September 2021 at the 3rd day of Oxonmoot 2021
Why does Tolkien’s fiction have a global appeal? Why are people from all continents drawn to Tolkien’s stories? What does that tell us about common human values? Only works of depth and substance can garner such a massive following all over the world. Conversely, have the 6 Peter Jackson films, and various games drawn in fans who’re more interested in the action/adventure or violence, and war aspects of the films and games than in the core values embedded in the stories? Should we encourage diverse readings of Tolkien from different geographical locations? Can this coming together of readers from different countries foster an international fellowship, as outlined in his books? Or conversely, should his fans be confined to people of just one race or ethnicity? If the view-points, readings, or ideas of POC readers are not acceptable by some fans, then should POC readers be allowed to consume these books/films/games? Should POC fans be limited to being consumers, but not commentators?
❧