Back in 2007, the SWG archive was still brand-new and the group itself was only just two years old when I had a modest idea: Let's feature a character in the newsletter each month with a brief biography about the person. Just something quick, no more than a paragraph or two, to acquaint a reader new to The Silmarillion with the basics about the character. Just the basics. Oshun volunteered to write these mini-bios, and the Character of the Month was born.
Of course, any of you familiar with the Character of the Month biographies probably don't know them as the small, unambitious summaries that can be dashed off in a matter of minutes. For that, Oshun—who eventually became the lead writer on the project—can be credited. If you go back far enough, you can see that they started that way, but they didn't remain that way for long. As the cliché goes, the tale grew in the telling. That seems appropriate for this group, which was never intended to be what it is today and yet is.
Oshun also began meticulously citing her sources for these biographies, which set the standard for the SWG, as it began to develop its own Reference section, and raised the bar for the fandom beyond us. At the time, online references about Tolkien, such as the burgeoning Tolkien wikis, rarely identified where they got their information, and when you're working with over a dozen texts (with varying statuses as "canon" in people's minds) that few fans have comprehensive access to, that led to confusion and easily spread misinformation.
Today, the Character of the Month is winding down (but not finished yet! the characters we still need biographies for are listed here), and we have over 150 biographies archived on the site, written by a variety of authors but mostly by Oshun. The Character of the Month collection can be found here, and you can search our Reference section for a specific character 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.
New Fanworks
Havens by by AdmirableMonster [Writing]
The Exiles of Gondolin come to Sirion. The residents of Sirion welcome them, and friendship blossoms between the last remaining loremaster of Gondolin and a young poet of Sirion.
Read more ...Hurting Tyelpë by by elennalore [Writing]
Sauron has taken Celebrimbor as a prisoner in Ost-in-Edhil. Whump happens.
Read more ...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 ...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 ...Pennas Pengolodh by by AdmirableMonster [Series]
The majority of the Silmarillion was penned by a single Elf--an Elf who was so thoroughly written out as to appear only through the ways in which their perspective shaped the stories we see. This is their story, the historian's history, the Pennas Pengolodh.
Read more ...Beyond the Silmarillion Fanworks
Homage to the Song of Durin by by Flora-lass [Writing]
Legolas is inspired by Gimli's song - and by Gimli himself.
Read more ...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
Hidden Paths 2025
Hidden Paths, an event dedicated to the celebration of smaller Tolkien canons, has released their early prompts for the 2025 event.
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.
Fluffcember 2024
Fluffcember is a Tumblr event with daily fluffy prompts during the month of December.
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.
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.
