Tolkien Gleanings #152.
* “Tolkien and Lewis Manuscripts Donated to Public Domain” through the Bodleian Library…
“A treasure trove of invaluable manuscripts and letters penned by famed authors J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis has been generously donated to the Public Domain by the family of a private collector. This significant move was orchestrated as part of an agreement with the government to evade inheritance tax liabilities. The donated items feature drafts of renowned works by both authors, personal correspondence, and other documents that provide a unique insight into their creative process and friendship.”
* The Wall Street Journal reviews the new expanded edition of The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien ($ paywall).
* Tea with Tolkien reviews the nine-lecture online course ‘The Liturgical Imagination of J.R.R. Tolkien’.
* New in the Journal of the Association of Young Researchers on Anglophone Studies, a survey of “The Celtic Elements in The Lord of the Rings”.
* A useful transcript of the newly-available “The Man Who Invented Hobbits” (1974/75) radio documentary…
“I gather, though I wasn’t there at the time, that Professor Tolkien submitted [to the potential publisher Unwin] the entire incohate manuscript of The Lord of the Rings, in one huge packing case” (Rayner Unwin).
* The UK’s Plymouth University put up a What’s On page for a 2024 event, then 404-d it. But evidently there’s to be a public talk by Joel Merriner on Tolkien illustrations from the old Soviet empire, set for spring 2024.
* And finally, an article in Hungarian on Gyenvar Adam and his Tolkien dioramas. Gyenvar’s portfolio is at Helm Hammerhand. His resin dioramas are auctioned for charity.
