Ian Collier from The Tolkien Society writes: There will be a formal presentation of the Proceedings of the Tolkien 2005: The Ring Goes Ever On conference to the City of Birmingham on 30th January 2009. This is to recognise the civic reception given by the then Lord Mayor to the conference, the friendly welcome given by its citizens to conference attendees, and the city’s place in Tolkien’s life.
The Lord Mayor is formally accepting the gift on behalf of the city and the Two Volume set of conference proceedings are to be lodged at Birmingham Central Library so that the city’s inhabitants can freely access them for general interest, academic study, or scholarly research, and pleasure.
Tolkien 2005: The Ring Goes Ever On was a 5 day conference marking the 50th anniversary of the complete publication of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and the largest gathering of fans and academics from around the world. Over 750 people gathered in Aston University, Birmingham to give or attend papers, lectures, panels, and workshops on Tolkien’s life and works.