Tolkien Gleanings #293

* The Bodleian Library shares a glimpse of Tolkien’s annotated fold-out map from the first-edition of The Lord of the Rings.

* Up for auction in 2014, with good photos still online, a 1961 Tolkien letter hand-written as a reply to a boy who had enjoyed The Hobbit. Tolkien writes back that he regrets… “there is not much fun in” The Lord of the Rings for the young boy, other than perhaps Bilbo’s birthday chapter.

* In the new academic book Vikings, Knights, Elves, and Ogres: Essays in Honor of Shaun F.D. Hughes (2025), the chapter “Thoughts on J.R.R. Tolkien’s and E.V. Gordon’s ‘Viking Club’ Songbook at Leeds, and Related Nordic Songbooks”.

* Fanac.org has newly added a PDF scan of Tim Kirk’s 1969 Tolkien Calendar, in their Calendars section. Pleasing pencil and wash work, though mostly with garish colour overlays added. They welcome donated scans of similar vintage rarities.

* And talking of entering the mighty gates… currently advertised is the position of Chief Executive Officer of The Tolkien Society, on a whopping £45-£55k. Deadline: 13th April 2025.

* A series of events centred around nature and imagination, running 1st April to 1st May 2025 on the Ile de Re. This being a tourist destination-island in France, half-way down the Atlantic coast and between the cities of Nantes and Bordeaux. Apparently free, and to include public talks, temporary land-art (they have many beaches), exhibitions, concerts and more. The island’s website is currently down, but check iledere.com when online again. As part of the events, note…

– Conferences and meetings
“Tolkien and the science of his imaginary creatures. Paleontologists, naturalists, and illustrators come together to discuss nature and the imaginary.”

* Mythmoot XII, 19th-22nd June 2025, Virginia, USA. The call-for-papers closes on 31st March 2025. The theme is “Drawn to the Edge” — edges, thresholds and edgelands of all sorts, and also the allure of such things.

* And finally, a new Tolkien sculpture in East Yorkshire in northern England, part of their Tolkien Triangle…

“One statue will show the young Tolkien standing in the woods and will be around eight-and-a-half feet high [in carved wood], while the second installation, beside it, will depict Edith dancing in silhouette etched into a thick oak slab.”

Due to be installed on-site and officially unveiled later in the spring of 2025. It sounds like they have ambitions to create a larger Tolkien sculpture-trail in future.