Tolkienists.org

Upcoming entries

Foretellings of upcoming book releases, calls for papers, and events of interest to those studying Tolkien and his works, set forth by date and then by entry type.

30 June

Calls for papers

CfP: 2022 Annual Conference

… Proposals are welcome on all aspects of popular and American culture for inclusion in the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA) conference in Princeton, NJ. Single papers, panels, roundtables, and alternative formats are welcome.

Proposals should take the form of 300-word abstracts, and may only be submitted to one appropriate area. For a list of areas and area chair contact information, visit mapaca​.net/​areas. General questions can be directed to [email protected]​mapaca.​net. The deadline for submission is Thursday, June 30, 2022.

MAPACA’s participants are comprised of college and university faculty, independent scholars and artists, and graduate and undergraduate students. MAPACA is an inclusive professional organization dedicated to the study of popular and American culture in all their multidisciplinary manifestations. It is a regional division of the Popular Culture and American Culture Association, which, in the words of Popular Culture Association founder Ray Browne, is a ​“multi-disciplinary association interested in new approaches to the expressions, mass media and all other phenomena of everyday life.”

For more information, visit mapaca​.net.…

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    3 July

    Events

    Tolkien Society Seminar, Summer 2022: Tolkien and the Gothic

    Sunday 3rd July (Hybrid event) Hilton Hotel, Leeds (Free)

    Tolkien’s engagement with the Gothic is not as straightforward as one may assume. His earliest understanding of the word and the language of the Goths can be traced to his reading of Joseph Wright’s A Primer of the Gothic Language (1892). His early fascination with Gothic consequently fed his own experimentations with language creation and legendarium.

    However, his prose and poetry show a clear awareness of the Gothic literary tradition that had previously captured the imaginations of eighteenth and nineteenth century writers. Beyond his writing, Gothic influences can be found in Tolkien’s life: from the European fascination with Gothic architecture to the physical and psychological terrors of the Great War.

    The seminar aims to explore the ways that Tolkien engaged with the various applications of the Gothic and how this in turn has influenced creative engagements with Tolkien.

    Papers may consider, but are not limited to:

    • The Gothic literary tradition in Tolkien’s work
    • Tolkien’s work with the Gothic language
    • Biographical influences of Gothic architecture and the Great War
    • The Gothic in Tolkien art and illustrations
    • Gothic complexities when translating Tolkien

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    full listing ☞

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    4 July

    Events

    4 July 2022 12:15 utc — view in local time

    IMC 2022: Borders, № 141: J.R.R. Tolkien: Medieval roots and modern branches

    Andrew Higgins, organiser; and Kristine Larsen, moderator/chair

    This session will address wider topics and new approaches to Tolkien’s medievalism ranging from source studies and theoretical readings to comparative studies (including Tolkien’s legacy).

    full listing ☞

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    4 July 2022 15:15 utc — view in local time

    IMC 2022: Borders, № 241: Tolkien and Medieval poets: A session in memory of Richard C. West

    Andrew Higgins, organiser; and Andrew Higgins, moderator/chair

    This session is in memory of medievalist and distinguished Tolkien scholar who we sadly lost in 2020: Richard C. West. Richard wrote some of the most important and influential early scholarship on Tolkien including his seminal 1975 essay ​‘The Interlace Structure of The Lord of the Rings’ which demonstrated how the narrative interlace structure used by medieval authors influenced Tolkien’s work. In memory of Richard’s scholarship papers in this session will explore the influence and impact of works of medieval poetry and poets on the creative thought, process, and works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

    full listing ☞

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    4 July 2022 20:00 utc — view in local time

    IMC 2022: Borders, № 441: Tolkien as a Gateway to Interdisciplinary Teaching: A round table discussion

    Andrew Higgins, organiser; and Andrew Higgins, moderator/chair

    Participants include Deidre Dawson, independent scholar; and Dimitra Fimi, Senior Lecturer in Fantasy and Children’s Literature (English Literature), University of Glasgow.

    This round table discussion will feature talks by teachers on how they have used the works of Tolkien to introduce and engage students with new fields of study and disciplines. Short papers and discussions will explore how teachers have used the works of Tolkien as a gateway for students to explore and become passionate about other areas of study.

    full listing ☞

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    6 July

    Events

    6 July 2022 10:00 utc — view in local time

    IMC 2022: Borders, № 1033: Borders between life and death in Tolkien’s legendarium

    Andrew Higgins, Organiser; and Sara Brown, moderator/chair

    Papers in this session related to the thematic strand of the conference papers will explore themes around metaphysical borders and liminal spaces between life and death in Tolkien’s works and their influences.

    full listing ☞

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    6 July 2022 12:15 utc — view in local time

    IMC 2022: Borders, № 1133: Family, orientation, transgression, and crossing borders of Middle-earth

    Andrew Higgins, organiser; and Andrew Higgins, moderator/chiar

    Papers in this session will explore broader topics around different types of less evident borders found in Tolkien’s creative thought and writing. They can include orientations and borders that are encountered and crossed (or not) in various types of social interactions and relationships in Tolkien’s legendarium including social, linguistic, racial, and sexual.

    full listing ☞

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    29 July

    Events

    Mythcon, Mythcon 52: The mythic, the fantastic, and the alien

    Mythcon 52’s theme provides multiple opportunities to explore the Other in fantasy and mythopoeic literature. Tolkien spoke in ​“On Fairy-stories” of ​“the desire to visit, free as a fish, the deep sea; or the longing for the noiseless, gracious, economical flight of a bird.” We invite discussion about the types of fantasy that are more likely to put us into contact with the alien, such as time portal fantasy and space travel fantasy. In addition to Inklings, some writers who deal particularly well with the truly alien who might be explored include Lovecraft, Gaiman, Le Guin, Tepper, and others. Other topics that might be fruitfully explored are: depictions of the alien Other in film and television (Contact, Arrival, HBO’s Watchmen, etc.); developing constructed languages that are truly different from those of Earth-based humans; fantastical Others in indigenous myths (such as Coyote and Spider Woman from Native American mythology); and American folklore about the alien (flying saucers, alien abduction, Area 51, Roswell).

    Rivera Sun, Author Guest of Honor

    David Bratman, Scholar Guest of Honor

      full listing ☞

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      1 September

      Events

      Oxonmoot, 2022: St Anne’s College, Oxford, & on-line

      [The Tolkien Society] are delighted to announce that bookings for Oxonmoot 2022 are now open!

      Oxonmoot is an annual event hosted by The Tolkien Society which brings together Tolkien fans, scholars, students and Society members from across the world. Oxonmoot 2022 is being held over four days, from the afternoon of Thursday 1st September until early afternoon on Sunday 4th September (UK time). As in 2021, this will be a hybrid event bringing together online delegates with those attending in person at St Anne’s College, Oxford.

      An Early Bird Discount worth £10 off each booking is available for bookings completed by 31st May 2022. To receive the discount, use the promo code WIZARD2022 when booking.

      …

      The Oxonmoot programme includes talks, quizzes, lectures, workshops, performances, papers, discussions, singing, slideshows, costuming, gaming and celebrating. All of this is supplemented by eating, drinking and chatting! The weekend concludes with a visit to Tolkien’s grave on Sunday afternoon, known as Enyalië (“Remembrance”) — a beautiful and moving end to the event.

      To get an impression of what to expect, why not check out this short video of highlights from Oxonmoot 2021.…

      full listing ☞

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      13 October

      Events

      14 October

      Events

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