If you’re a follower of TORn Tuesday, you’ll have seen Royd Tolkien and Jed Brophy guesting on the show, in advance of a special appearance at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Royd, a film maker who happens to be the great-grandson of the Professor, was presenting the US premier of his film There’s a Hole in my Bucket . They joined host Quickbeam (aka Clifford Scott Broadway) to talk about this inspiring film.
Royd’s brother Mike was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (known in America as ALS). Before he died, he created a ‘bucket list’ – tasks and challenges that Royd would fulfil on Mike’s behalf. There’s a Hole in my Bucket tells the story of the quest to complete that list. It’s a beautiful and moving film, which will be heading to more cities for screenings – comment on the movie’s Facebook page if you’d like it to play in a city near you!
Meanwhile, we were delighted that in addition to taking time to join TORn Tuesday, Royd also shared some thoughts with staffer greendragon – discussing the challenges, loss, living life to the full, and the Tolkien fandom.
Royd Tolkien with his little brother Mike
greendragon: Somehow a decade has already passed since Mike died. How did all the challenges go? Are you still setting yourself new challenges, imagining what Mike might be asking you to do if he were still here?
Royd: The challenges were all difficult in their own unique way. Some were terrifying and pushed me completely outside my comfort zone, others were incredibly awkward (and I avoid awkwardness at all costs!), and some were so emotional that they made the pain of Mike not being there all the more real. But they all pushed me in directions I never imagined I’d go.
It’s very easy to slip back into what’s familiar and comfortable. I still find myself pottering around in the garden, imagining Mike shouting at me saying, “Get out there! Do something! You can garden tomorrow!”
And I do try to carry that with me. So much of this journey has been about learning to grab life by the balls, to say yes to things I might normally shy away from and to make the most of the time I’ve got. I don’t always get it right, but I think Mike would be pleased to know I’m still giving it a bloody good go.
GD: What has the reception of the movie and your book been? I imagine people really relate to it – do you get people sharing tales with you, of their own grief, or of their goals to live more fully?
RT: I’ve been totally blown away by the reception, particularly to the book which has been out for a few years now. The film’s currently doing the festival circuit, including Newport Beach Film Festival, and is due for release in Australia and New Zealand next year.
I’ve had people reach out from all over the world to tell me how the story has affected their lives, often in ways I could never have anticipated. And it’s not necessarily people who’ve experienced motor neurone disease or a similar loss. I’ve had messages from people who’ve realised how ridiculous a petty argument with a brother or sister was, and how my journey has encouraged them to rebuild those relationships. Others have told me it’s made them reassess their priorities and reminded them of the importance of getting out there and grabbing life by the balls.
That’s been an extraordinary and completely unexpected reward. When I started this journey, there was no grand plan. I was simply following Mike’s instructions: ‘You make films, make a film about this.’ And if I was going to use my name for anything, I should use it to raise awareness of motor neurone disease.
That was always the purpose, but the story has taken on a life of its own. It’s become about more than the disease and grief. It’s about relationships, the fragility of life and remembering to actually live it while we can.
To hear how people have connected with that message, and in some cases made real changes in their lives because of it, has been a genuine honour.
Royd prepares to bungee jump – in a tutu, a challenge requirement!
GD: You’re part of the Tolkien family AND the Tolkien fandom family. What does the fandom mean to you? How have the fans – or the connections made through the fandom – helped you with your journey and your adventures?
The fandom means an enormous amount to me. I’ve been surrounded by it for as long as I can remember, the Tolkien Society gatherings in Oxford that we went to when I was growing up was the beginning for me. Because of that it’s always been a familiar and wonderful part of my life.
And I completely understand the passion because I’m a fan myself. What makes it so special is that it really does feel like an extended family. I’ve made lifelong friends through our shared love of Tolkien, and those friendships have been a huge part of my life and, in many ways, my own adventures.
I was lucky enough to spend International Hobbit Day in Hobbiton recently with Jed, and we spent the day just hanging out with everyone. It was heaven. There’s something incredibly comforting about being surrounded by people who share that same enthusiasm and love for something. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what your background is, there’s an immediate connection.
It’s a wonderfully warm, welcoming community, and one I feel incredibly lucky to be part of.
You can watch the trailer for There’s a Hole in my Buckethere.
In the South transept of London’s Westminster Abbey you can find Poets’ Corner – an area filled with memorials and commemorations. From Geoffrey Chaucer – who was interred in the Abbey in 1400 – to, most recently, Beatrix Potter (whose memorial was unveiled in 2024), Poets’ Corner contains fascinating burials, plaques and statues.
To be fair, Chaucer was interred in the Abbey because he was Clerk of Works for the Palace of Westminster. A new tomb was erected – and his remains moved – in 1556; Edmund Spenser was then buried nearby in 1599, and so began the tradition of writers being commemorated in that area of the Abbey (along with the various Canons and Deans buried there – and one actor, Laurence Olivier).
In 2027, J. R. R.Tolkien will receive a memorial in Poets’ Corner – not far from his dear friend C. S. Lewis, whose marble stone was added in 2013, on the 50th anniversary of Lewis’ death. The installation of Tolkien’s memorial will be next Spring; 2027 is the 90th anniversary year of publication of The Hobbit, and the 50th anniversary year of publication of The Silmarillion. Tolkien’s memorial will be 2.5 metres (just over 8 ft) tall, and will capture his love of trees – as well as reflecting his own artwork. Read all about this wonderful memorial here.
Stephen Broadbent working on a prototype of the Tolkien memorial, August 2026.Credit: Jonny Nolan
Tolkien of course is buried in Wolvercote Cemetery, Oxford, together with his beloved wife Edith. Lewis is also buried in Oxford – in the church yard of Holy Trinity, Headington Quarry. Now the two Inklings will be commemorated near one another. One likes to imagine what they might say, over a pint at The Eagle and Child, if they knew such honour would be accorded them. It might be a source of surprise and amusement – but certainly of pride. We look forward to visiting the Professor’s memorial in the Abbey next year.
This will be our 24th edition of the Bagginses Birthday Bash in Griffith Park. Head to the link below to RSVP and list what you will bring to the party. You can also email me at Garfeimao(at)TheOneRing.net to RSVP if you are not on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/events/1369087481317252/
The party will start at 11:30am on Sunday, September 20, 2026 and will be a potluck sort of party, as usual, so please do mention what you plan to bring so we know what to expect and what holes need filling.
There will be fun and games, including a Dessert Contest for the best Fellowship of the Rings themed cake or cupcakes, or just theme it around 25 (for the 25th anniversary of FOTR). Costumes most welcome, there will be prizes.
Last week, as you know, Peter Jackson and Stephen Colbert surprised us all with the revelation that the next Middle-earth movie, to be made after The Hunt for Gollum, will be written by Colbert (together with his son Peter McGee, who is a screenwriter). It has been given the working title The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past.
Two hobbits walk onto a Late Show set…
Though the exact reveal was a surprise, it was long-expected that Tolkien afficionado Colbert would take up some project associated with Middle-earth, once his Late Show comes to an end in May. Word has come to TORn, however, that Shadows of the Past is not the only Tolkien task the mega fan will have on his agenda come the Summer.
Colbert has often demonstrated his deep knowledge of the Professor’s lore and languages. Now we hear he’s going to put those skills to work, ‘re-translating’ the Red Book of Westmarch.
As readers will know, the Red Book is the ‘found manuscript’ which Tolkien created as an imaginary source for all his tales of Arda. Largely written by Bilbo and Frodo, there were also volumes of ‘Translations from the Elvish’ (by Bilbo), additions by writers such as Samwise, and even some records from Merry and Pippin. Further, the marginalia of the Red Book became The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.
The Red Book, as it appears in Peter Jackson’s movies
Just what would this task of ‘re-translation’ be?
The rumours our spies have brought us are unclear as to whether Colbert’s goal is to create a translation of all (or just some) of these works into Elvish – which would be a huge undertaking in and of itself – or whether he will seek to restore the ‘original’ manuscripts, which would require translating different volumes and passages into a variety of tongues of Middle-earth. The latter seems unlikely; Tolkien did not leave us with enough Westron for a translation of Bilbo and Frodo’s writings back to that language to be possible, without creating more vocabulary. Perhaps we should assume, then, that Colbert will be translating to Sindarin and Quenya – and possibly, therefore, only tackling the parts of the legendarium which are known to us as The Silmarillion.
Either way, this is a worthy project for an intellect and passion like Stephen Colbert’s. And – we’d like to suggest to Mr. Colbert that he make this a group project! We know that many fans have deep knowledge of the Professor’s languages; if the Late Show host would like to ‘share the load’, with individuals taking on a chapter each, many hands would make light work of such a gargantuan undertaking.
What do you think? Is such a re-translation even possible? Share your thoughts on our discord!
The Amazon description reads: As Christopher Tolkien notes in his Introduction, The Bovadium Fragments was a “satirical fantasy” written by his father, which grew out of a planning controversy that erupted in Oxford in the late 1940s, when J.R.R. Tolkien was the Merton Professor of English Language and Literature.
JRR Tolkien vs the Automobile
Written initially for his own amusement, Tolkien’s tale was a private academic jest that poked gentle fun at the pomposity of archaeologists and the hideousness of college crockery. However, it was at the same time expressing a barbed cri de coeur against the inexorable rise of motor transport that was overwhelming the tranquility of his beloved city. Interest in publishing it in the 1960s ultimately foundered, and the text remained hidden for 60 years.
Anyone who has read Tolkien’s letters will know that he is at his funniest when filled with rage, and The Bovadium Fragments is a work brimming with Tolkien’s fury — specifically, ire over mankind’s obsession with motor vehicles. Tolkien’s anger is expressed through a playful satire told from the perspective of a group of future archaeologists who are studying the titular fragments, which tell of a civilization that asphyxiated itself on its own exhaust fumes. Tolkien’s fictional fragments use the language of ancient myth, reframing modern issues like traffic congestion and parking with a grandeur that highlights their total absurdity. It is Tolkien at his angriest and funniest, making The Bovadium Fragments a minor treasure in his ever-growing catalog.
“the spirit of ‘Isengard,’ if not of Mordor, is of course always cropping up. The present design of destroying Oxford in order to accommodate motor-cars is a case.” Readers of The Lord of the Rings (1954-55) will recognize the allusion. In the author’s magnum opus, Isengard is a kind of industrial hell, endlessly feeding its furnaces with felled trees… The Bovadium Fragments brings Tolkien’s visceral hatred of such machines to the fore for the first time — on the same level as Isengard or the scoured Shire. In Tolkien’s story, the words “Motores” and “monsters” are interchangeable. And with his grand, mythic register, Tolkien defamiliarizes the car enough for modern readers to see it as he does — as truly monstrous. “[T]he Motores continued to bring forth an ever larger progeny,” Tolkien writes. “[M]any of the citizens harboured the monsters, feeding them with the costly oils and essences which they required, and building houses for them in their gardens….”
Imagine sitting and writing at the desk where J.R.R. Tolkien worked on The Lord of the Rings.
Someone will soon have the opportunity to do just that because the storied desk will soon be up for auction at Christie’s. Perhaps the new owner will consider the mid-Victorian roll-top too precious to use and will keep it as a shrine to the author.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s desk as Featured in Christie’s Auction
The desk was used by Tolkien from 1945-1959 when he was a professor of English language and literature at Merton College, University of Oxford, and later at his residence on Sandfield Road in Headington, Oxford. It is thought to be the desk he used while working on the final revisions for his epic fantasy. Photos of Tolkien sitting at the desk were taken by photographer Haywood Magee in 1955, shortly after the publication of The Lord of the Rings.
