124 years ago today, on January 3, 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein Africa. Forty-five years later, in 1937, his book The Hobbit, was published which he had written for his children. Together with its sequel, The Lord of the Rings, it launched generations of readers on adventures through the invented world of Middle-earth that would impact many of us for the rest of our lives.
Today, we here at TORn join millions of fans worldwide in celebrating Tolkien’s birthday. On this day, you might read a favorite passage or two from Tolkien’s writings or, like many of our message board members, you might even be in the midst of your annual read-through of The Hobbit and/or The Lord of the Rings.
Many fans will be gathering at local pubs with fellow member of the Tolkien Society to raise a glass to: “The Professor!” If you’d like to learn more about the annual January third tradition, or even find a local gathering near you, visit the Tolkien Society’s Tolkien Birthday Toast 2016 page here.
However you decide to celebrate, join us in wishing a happy birthday to “The Professor,” who’s life’s work has come to mean so much to us. Happy birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien!
Tolkien scholar and writer John Garth writes to tell us of a video documenting the sad end of a giant Black Pine (Pinus nigra) at the University of Oxford Botanic Gardens that J.R.R. Tolkien was known to have loved. Continue reading “A giant falls: Tolkien’s tree”
Each year The Tolkien Society hosts an AGM for its members. This year, the organisation will institute annual awards in several categories to:
‘recognise excellence in the fields of Tolkien scholarship and fandom as well as highlighting our long-standing charitable objective to “seek to educate the public in, and promote research into, the life and works of Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE”.’
Continue reading “Announcing the inaugural Tolkien Society Awards”
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Since 2003, fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work have gathered each March to celebrate and share his writing with each other and the public. Set by the Tolkien Society on March 25 to commemorate the downfall of Sauron in “The Lord of the Rings,” the idea of Tolkien Reading Day was inspired by the annual bloomsday celebration of the works of James Joyce.
In Los Angeles, the local smial of the Tolkien Society, Tolkien Forever, has been observing Reading Day since 2006. Open to all who appreciate Tolkien’s work, volunteers sign up to read selections that may range from favorites like “Riddles in the Dark” to lesser-known pieces like the children’s book “Mr. Bliss.”
This year in Los Angeles, Reading Day will be held on Saturday, March 22, and will return to The Last Bookstore downtown, a venue worth visiting for any book lover. Volunteers who would would like to sign up to read should visit the Facebook event page for more details. Come out and share your favorite Tolkien selection with everyone!
For those in other parts of the country and the world, the Tolkien Society is cataloging events around the globe as they are scheduled. Don’t see your town on the list? Start your own Tolkien Reading Day! All you need is a few friends and a copy of “The Hobbit” to get started…
Reading Day Event Information
Los Angeles, USA
Date: Saturday, March 22
Location: The Last Bookstore
Time: 2pm to 5pm
Find out more
Brisbane, Australia
Date: Saturday March 22
Location: Logan North Library
Time: 11am to 1pm
Find out more
Other locations
Tolkien Society Event Index
Do you have information about another Reading Day event that you’d like us to share? Email spymaster@theonering.net!
Some associate TheOneRing only with Peter Jackson films set in Middle-earth. It is always our pleasure to support fans and all the aspects of the works of J.R.R. Tolkien (except what you are selling on Ebay). Below is a press release sent by The Tolkien Society that we give to you just as it was sent to us. The Tolkien Society (UK edition) was founded in 1969, 30 years before TORn, and it is always a pleasure to alert people to its events. When we post these we can’t help but wish this was the year we would attend. Anyway, here is the release for events taking place this weekend. Spread the word!
“The Tolkien Society has teamed up with the Birmingham Tolkien Group to bring you the thirteenth Middle-earth Weekend this Saturday and Sunday in celebration of 75 years of The Hobbit.
Middle-earth Weekend takes place at Sarehole Mill in an area of Birmingham in which Tolkien grew up and which inspired his writings – the area is credited with inspiring Tolkien’s vision of The Shire and Hobbiton including Sandyman’s infamous Mill. This area has been designated as “The Shire Country Park” in Tolkien’s honour and the park covers the River Cole, Chinn Brook, Moseley Bog & the Dell, and the Dingles – all places J.R.R. Tolkien knew as a child when he lived just across from the mill pool.
Events this year include: mediaeval re-enactments, archery, live performances of excerpts from Tolkien’s works by Shire Productions, guided walks, poetry and music, our Tolkien tent with stalls of goodies, a climbing wall, our popular costume competition, face painting, dragons(!), and, of course, a working mill! It is a full menagerie of events for the whole family that will excite, entertain, amuse and inform. Continue reading “Tolkien Society celebrating 75 years of ‘Hobbit’ this weekend”
The Tolkien Society sends this in: This year’s Middle-earth Weekend has the theme of the Mariner to tie in with the International Maritime Organization’s Year of the Seafarer. Although Sarehole itself is landlocked and hobbits had a fear of boats Tolkien’s ‘Shire’ for which Sarehole was an inspiration was bordered by the elven towers at the outskirts of the Grey Havens from where the elves would sail West to Valinor. A story that links the earliest ages of Middle-earth with “The Lord of the Rings” is the tale of Eärendil the Mariner. Continue reading “The Mariner: Sailing Around Middle-Earth”
124 years ago today, on January 3, 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein Africa. Forty-five years later, in 1937, his book The Hobbit, was published which he had written for his children. Together with its sequel, The Lord of the Rings, it launched generations of readers on adventures through the invented world of Middle-earth that would impact many of us for the rest of our lives.
