When we think of Christopher Tolkien, it is almost always in the context of his father's work. Tolkien fans tend to regard him, conveniently, as an appendage on his father's legacy, doing much of the work to bring the legendarium to fans that Tolkien himself did not have the chance to do. It can be easy to forget that Christopher was, in fact, an accomplished scholar and creator in his own right, and that the opportunity cost that came with his work on the legendarium is a tremendous gift to Tolkien fans.
This week, we are pleased to introduce a new occasional column to our newsletter, Read & Review, which will review books and collections related to Tolkien. This week, Grundy contributes the first article to this new endeavor: a review of The Great Tales Never End: Essays in Memory of Christopher Tolkien.
The book—intended to be published while Christopher was alive—includes essays on his work on the legendarium, the challenges and triumphs of that work, and also reveals something of the person he was beyond Middle-earth. "Newcomers to the fandom and longtime travelers to Middle-earth alike will find new facts and facets to interest them," Grundy writes. You can read Grundy's full review of The Great Tales Never End here.
We will also be looking for future reviews of books and collections related to Tolkien. If you'd to contribute a review, you can find the submission guidelines for Read & Review here (and submissions guidelines for all newsletter columns here).
SWG News
New Challenge: Potluck Bingo
Sit down to a delicious selection of prompts served on bingo boards, created by the SWG community.
Tolkien Meta Week, December 8-14
We will be hosting a Tolkien Meta Week in December, here on the archive and on our Tumblr, for nonfiction fanworks about Tolkien.
Mereth Aderthad 2025: Call for Presenters for Meta, Research, and Scholarship Open
We welcome proposals from creators of meta, research, and scholarship about Tolkien for our July 2025 hybrid Mereth Aderthad event!
A Sense of History: Doom and Ascent
In the final essay in the series about the tower allegory in Tolkien's "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics," Simon J. Cook pulls together the series to give the full picture of how not just the allegory but the legendarium can be read.
Themed Collection: Orcs Are People
Cuarthol shares a collection of fiction, art, and essays that challenge the notion of Orcs as an inhuman enemy and instead consider the legendarium from the perspective that Orcs are people.
Themed Collection: Alliterative Verse for Arda
Rhunedhel shares ten alliterative poems about Tolkien's world, which build on Tolkien's own reverence for alliterative verse.
Cultus Dispatches: Why People Don't Comment
Many an author has stared at her clicks and her comment count and wondered: Why don't most readers comment? An update on a 2018 article for Long Live Feedback, this month's column uses Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data to reveal three big factors: skill, confidence, and community connections.
In Memory of Oshun
We are sad to share the news that our long-time member, author, and friend Oshun has passed away. We are raising money to help her family with expenses for those who wish to contribute.
Video and Multimedia Fanwork Beta Testers Needed
In the next week or so, we hope to complete work on our final two fanwork types: video and multimedia. (Multimedia includes fanworks that use two or more of the other types; a fanfiction with an illustration, a video with a transcript, an essay with a link collection, or a playlist for a story would all be examples of multimedia fanworks.) If you'd be interested in testing one or both of these fanwork types, we are always looking for beta testers. Contact us to be set up as a beta tester on our test site.
New Fanworks
On a Night of Snow by by Elleth [Writing]
Fingon returns to Barad Eithel after a late-autumn hunt, finding someone unexpected with his wife. The night takes an even more unexpected turn for all three of them.
Read more ...Getting Dirty by by Elleth [Writing]
A collection of NSFW ficlets for the "Keep It Clean" bingo card of the 2024 Potluck Bingo.
Read more ...Collection of Potluck Drabbles by by Artano [Writing]
This is a collection of true drabbles completed for the 'Four Words' drabble bingo card.
Read more ...2024 Potluck Doodles by by silmalope [Artwork]
Assorted prompt fills for the 2024 Potluck bingo boards, to varying degrees of completion! :)
Read more ...A Collection of Maps Exhibiting the Changing Political Landscape in Beleriand by by Artano [Artwork]
Created for the 'Geography/Maps/Places' prompt on the "Tolkien meta" bingo board, this is a collection of maps marked with the various people groups showing how they arrived and moved about Beleriand. This collection focuses specifically on the time from the arrival of the Teleri, Vanyar, and Noldor before they went to Aman up to the distribution of the various kingdoms after the Flight of the Noldor, when they arrived in Middle-earth and settled there.
Read more ...On the Nature of the Sindar’s Hunting the Petty-dwarves by by Artano [Writing]
This is an analysis on whether the Sindar ate the Petty-dwarves during the years they hunted them, completed for the 'Literary Analysis' prompt on the "Tolkien Meta" bingo card.
Read more ...Indeed the Everlasting Darkness shall be our lot by by Erdariel [Writing]
Maglor sings. He wanders. Slowly, a shadow comes over his sight and mind, deepening little by little
Read more ...Valier & colours by by daughterofshadows [Artwork]
Semi-abstract arts representing the queens of the Valar.
Read more ...Survivors: A Pair of Drabbles by by Himring [Writing]
Written for an Insta-drabbling challenge for Orctober prompts, but not horror (or fluff either): two drabbles about survivors, Maglor and Haleth.
Read more ...Updated Fanworks
Ransom of the Fairy Twins by by Rocky41_7 [Writing]
Maglor and Maedhros trade Elrond and Elros to King Gil-galad in exchange for a Silmaril, but they have miscalculated.
Read more ...Instadrabbling by by SWG Moderators [Series]
We get together from time to time on the SWG Discord and produce spontaneous fanworks based on randomly chosen prompts. This collection includes drabbles, ficlets, and other flash fanworks produced as part of our instadrabbling sessions.
Read more ...Beyond the Silmarillion Fanworks
Long-tressed Wingildi by by Anérea [Artwork]
"... the long-tressed Wingildi ... spirits of the foam and the surf of ocean."
~ a painted sketch for Scribbles and Drabbles 2024.
Read more ...
Around the World and Web
Teitho November/December Contest: Healing
The theme for Teitho's November/December contest is healing.
Lord of the Rings Secret Santa 2024
LotR SESA has been ongoing for twenty-one years and is running again this year as a prompt meme hosted on AO3 for all genres of Tolkien-based fanfiction.
November challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The challenge for November has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. Thematic prompt: refuge. Formal challenge: include imitation of a sound. As always, these can be filled independently and also freely combined with SWG and other challenges. New participants welcome!
November 2024 Call for Papers and Proposals
Calls for papers and proposals for conferences and publications that are open during the month of November 2024.
White Oliphaunt 2024
The White Oliphaunt is a Tolkien fanwork exchange for humorous gifts.
Tolkien Society: Christopher Tolkien Centenary Conference
The Tolkien Society will be hosting the online Christopher Tolkien Centenary Conference on November 23-24, 2024.
Teitho October/November Challenge: Legacy
For October/November, the Teitho contest invites fanfiction and art around the theme of Legacy.
Kiliel Week 2024
Kiliel Week is a Tumblr event for fanworks about the Kili/Tauriel pairing.
Acorns and Oak Leaves: A Year of Bagginshield
Throughout 2024, the Bagginshield community Acorns and Oak Leaves offers monthly prompts to encourage new creations of all kinds.
