Mereth Aderthad 2025: Program Posted
Check out our schedule of presentations and fanworks, as well as featured artists for Mereth Aderthad 2025! Registration for in-person and virtual attendance is now open.
SWG News
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Paul D. Deane by Himring
Before the Norman Invasion brought rhymed poetry with it, English poetry was alliterative, and this early poetic form held deep appeal for Tolkien. Himring spoke to Paul D. Deane about his upcoming Mereth Aderthad paper "Love, Grief, and Alliterative Verse in Tolkien’s Legendarium" and his work with alliterative verse, Tolkien, and alliterative verse about Tolkien.
New Challenge: Musicals
Prompts this month come from musicals.
So You Want to Present at a Tolkien Conference? Putting Together the Presentation
The video and materials from our latest session of "So You Want to Present at a Tolkien Conference?" are now available. This session covers crafting a paper intended for presentation and designing helpful, accessible visuals to accompany your talk.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] First Age 503: First Semifinal - Nogrod vs Doriath by myrtaceaae
Nogrod vs Doriath, in the first match of the F. A. 503 finals season. Will Doriath at the top of the ladder beat Nogrod, currently at third on the ladder, or will Nogrod's strong side be victorious?
[Writing] High in the Clean Blue Air by StarSpray
They passed out of Lhûn and the wider coastline of Middle-earth opened up before his eyes. He had wandered those shores for centuries, and even now he felt the pull of that same wanderlust, and knew he would miss them for the rest of his life. Their wildness, the untamed waves, the rocky…
[Writing] Let Him Find Honey by StarSpray
Grief awaits you outside these halls, Fëanáro, Nienna told him, her voice like the gentlest fall of rain upon spring leaves.
Grief haunts me inside them, Fëanor replied.
[Series] I made loving you a blood sport by atlantablack
In which Fëanor & Fingolfin are re-embodied in 4th age Aman, are nowhere near as healed as everyone believes them to be, and decide to pretend that sleeping together will fix their relationship instead of causing more problems.
[Writing] a hunger still unraveling like silk by atlantablack
Fingolfin does not look up from his book when he hears footsteps approaching and pays no attention to Fëanor walking into the room. What he emphatically does pay attention to is Fëanor going to his knees in front of the chair he is sprawled sideways…
[Writing] A Songbird in a Cage of His Own Making by Elrond's Library
Uinen and Ossë have lost track of the Noldor's Songbird, his laments gone silent. When they do, Uinen nurses him back to health, and then some.
[Writing] The Writhen Pool by pandemonium_213
When the Istyari of Second Age Ost-in-Edhil deny her a place in an important new initiative to be taken up by the Gwaith-i-Mírdain, a young master smith struggles to make her mark in the man's realm of the forges. An opportunity arrives when the smith is offered a commission that will present…
Current Challenge
Musicals
Craft a fanwork inspired by songs from musicals. Read more ...
Random Challenge
New Directions
Create a fanwork about a character you've never explored before by using our Character Biography collection. Read more ...
New in References
Interview with Paul D. Deane by Himring by Rhunedhel
Himring spoke to Paul about his upcoming Mereth Aderthad presentation "Love, Grief, and Alliterative Verse in Tolkien’s Legendarium," his deep study of alliterative verse, and how that entwines with his understanding of Tolkien and creation of his own Tolkien-based alliterative poems.
So You Want to Present at a Tolkien Conference? Putting Together the Presentation by SWG Newsletter Staff
Video and materials from our session on how to put together a paper and presentation for a Tolkien conference. The session covers how to structure a paper for a presentation, assembling a presentation to support your paper, and accessibility and other tools for ensuring everyone can access your work.
Interview with cloudyhymns by Shadow by cloudyhymns, daughterofshadows
Shadow spoke with cloudyhymns about his upcoming presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025, "The Design of Dragons and the Doom of the Dwarves," where he shares his theory about how Dwarves and dragons are connected in the legendarium, a topic full of implications for fanworks.
Featured Themed Collection
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features fiction, artwork, and essays that transcend the idea of Orcs as the enemy, instead considering their humanity.
Alliterative Verse for Arda by Rhunedhel
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features alliterative poems about Middle-earth.
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Multimedia] Rosemary for Remembrance by Himring
Three years after Arathorn's death, Gilraen receives a letter.
It contains a short poem and a sprig of rosemary.
[Writing] Paradox of the Fourth Age by Alassante
One wrong decision can make a world of difference. When one of the Fellowship makes the mistake, the consequences are so severe that only the Valar can repair it. But will they?
Glorfindel daughter's life is in Elrohir's hands and only she remembers th eir love for each other. The fate of…
[Writing] By Mirrormere by bunn
A new Age dawns, and Moria is retaken at last.
Around the World and Web
Angbang Week 2025
Angbang Week is a Tumblr event for fanworks about the Melkor/Sauron pairing.
Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang (TRSB) Sign-Ups Open!
The Tolkien Reserve Summer Bang is a collaborative fan event celebrating the works and adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien. Writers and artists will team up to bring new stories to life—from the Shire to the far reaches of Valinor (and everything in between).
April Challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The tolkienshortfanworks challenge for April has been posted to the Dreamwidth community. The thematic prompt is: wood. The formal challenge is: linnod (Gilraen's canonical verse form). These can be filled separately and freely combined with other challenges and prompts that allow this.
Tolkien Ekphrasis Week 2025
This is a Tolkien-fandom-wide event dedicated to the art of ekphrasis in Tolkien's worlds. Its goal is to illuminate the artistic surroundings of the places, people, and stories we love, in as many media as possible.
Teitho March/April Challenge: Mothers
The Teitho Contest theme for the months of March and April is mothers.
Fanworks Tagged with General
In Time. by hennethgalad
Finrod and Galadriel in Doriath
Bloody Silmarils - Series by Dilly
In Gondolin, Turgon is depressed...
Musings in the Sky by Rhapsody
This is my collection of Silmarillion drabbles. Either drabbled as a present or written for a challenge. Ratings vary from General to Adult.
Hador Lórindol. by hennethgalad
Hador and his relationships with Fingolfin, Gildis and others.
The Line of Kings by Michiru
A series encompassing my attempt to bring Angrod and his family to life, from Valinor to the War of Wrath.
What We Have Left by Nibeneth
Stories of Elrond and Elros\' childhood in the household of Maglor and Maedhros.
Maitimo and Findekáno by oshun
Stories written within the same universe and story arc. The featured characters are Fingon and Maedhros but also includes at various points most of the Finweans and their descendants. (Many, but far from all, of these stories include mature themes. Please see individual stories for ratings.)
Concerning Dior. by hennethgalad
perspectives.
Legends of the Stars by Kimberleighe
A collection of Sindarin stories about the stars and myths before the rising of the Moon.
Loyalty by grey_gazania
Who were Ulfang's people, and why did they betray the Elves?
To Give in Return by Dawn Felagund
Many times a day I realize how much my own life is built on the labors of my fellowmen, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received.
Albert Einstein
This series will serve as a home for the stories that I have written for friends and peers between American Thanksgiving and the end of the year 2007.
Every year, I like to write something for the friends and people who have helped me as an author that year. I love writing these stories. As a writer, I look forward to December more than any other time of the year. It is otherwise impossible for me to put into words the joy and gratitude that these people bring into my life every day. The only way I have found is to wile away an afternoon with no thought but crafting a story where they will love each and every word ...
And this series is the fruits of that.
That said, I\'ve asked for requests on LJ, and am always happy to take more. Check out this entry here for more information. Also, all of my stories--including non-Silmarillion pieces--can be read here.
Many, many thanks for another fantastic year.
Under Strange Stars by Idrils Scribe
Barely a long-year after the Last Alliance all is not well in Imladris. Elrond's household has been dealt a crippling blow: a very young Elrohir has disappeared. After decades of false leads he is found in the Far South of Middle-Earth. Can Glorfindel rescue the House of Earendil once more? His task is not an easy one: Elrohir has no memory of who he was, and little interest in leaving his people's fight against the Black Nùmenoreans of Umbar ...
RAFA \'verse by Independence1776
The RAFA \'verse is a series set around \"Rise Again From Ashes,\" a tale in which Maglor returns to Valinor in the Seventh Age. The series is complete and listed in suggested reading order, though the other stories chronologically take place before RAFA. Not all are in the main Maglor-and-Elrond-centric storyline.
Please pay attention to the warnings and ratings; they vary by story.
Main verse: Quenta Quendi by Scribe of Mirrormere
Main verse for my fanfiction, especially the tales told from the POV of the elves. Stretches from the days of Cuiviénen to (one day) the Dagor Dagorath.
Stones of Seeing by clotho123
Three loosely linked stories filling gaps in the history of the palantíri
Our little song by Leithriel
Just a collection of stories about my favorite characters/ships in Silmarillion
Series: Balar fics by Keiliss
Mainly about Gil-galad :)
The Rise and Fall of Beleriand by Encaitariel
Also known as: Encaitariel’s Guide to Nargothrond and Its Denizens
This is a collection of the bits that I have collected (and continue to collect) about my Nargothrond and those Elves who inhabit her: some are character sketches, some (unposted) responses to challenge prompts I have seen here or there, and some are just bits of scene to flesh out relationships. Some will never been seen outside of these chapters, but others may eventually find a place and context within a larger work.
As always, I thank you ahead of time for taking the time and attention to read.
~ Encaitariel ~
The Rise and Fall of Celebrimbor Curufinwion by Aiwen
Stories about or containing Celebrimbor.
On Secret Looms Entwined by Lindariel
Episodes from the life Galadriel wove for herself in Middle-Earth.
Tales of the Years of the Sun by Fadesintothewest
A series of stories exploring the exploits of the House of Fingolfin during the first years of the Years of the Sun.
The Arrow For Its Swiftness: Misadventures of a Fëanorian by Zdenka
This series contains scenes from the life of Feredwen, an original character who served the House of Fëanor. I reorder the series when I add something new to keep the sequence approximately chronological, but individual parts skip around in time so that isn\'t always possible.
Every Wish by Independence1776
Duology consisting of “Every Wish” and “Falling Stars.” The former is rated General and the latter Adult. Mestië and Alagos attempt to circumvent Ar-Gimilzôr’s laws.
Fear No Darkness by Independence1776
Silmarillion-Star Wars fusion where Maglor's a Jedi.
The book of lost things by Dilly
Drabbles and ficlets compilation, english and french.
Recueil de courts textes sur le Silmarillion. Beren/Luthien, Maedhros/Fingon, fils de Fëanor, Sauron, etc.
Classés dans l\'ordre chronologique.
