Seed Talks: The Epic History of Lord of the Rings: Middle-earth and Beyond

Cardiff – 9th April 2024

Fifty years on from J.R.R. Tolkien’s death, his tales of Middle-earth are more popular than ever. Join us on a quest through Tolkien’s world of elves and hobbits, dark lords and enchanted forests, as we explore his masterpiece The Lord of the Rings. From the earliest stages of its composition to its impact on fantasy fiction, from its mythic roots to its modern adaptations, our talk will explore why readers still love Middle-earth – and why Tolkien’s vision still holds such power today.

John Garth is a journalist and author of the acclaimed biographical Tolkien and the Great War, winner of the Mythopoeic Award for Scholarship 2004, and was Fellow in Humanistic Studies for 2015–16 at the Black Mountain Institute, University of Las Vegas, Nevada. Other writings include the definitive study of Tolkien’s undergraduate life, Tolkien at Exeter College, nominated for the same award in 2015. He speaks regularly on Tolkien and related topics, in person and on air. John has also taught full-length and short courses on Tolkien for Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education, for UNLV, and online for the Mythgard Institute at Signum University. 

Glasgow – 17th April 2024

The history of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is a long and winding journey with many roads that take readers down the most unexpected of paths. From abandoned plot lines to dramatic changes in the narrative, this talk will explore how Tolkien slowly pieced the book together and how it influenced his understanding of Middle-earth. Although he originally thought of Middle-earth as a place of myth, he came to root it in a history “true or feigned”. In doing so, Tolkien made Middle-earth into a world that felt like our own, but with one or two key differences. How did Tolkien create The Lord of the Rings and Middle-earth? Why did he turn from myth to history? How does his work resonate with us today? Join Will on his journey into Middle-earth to discover the history of The Lord of the Rings.

Will Sherwood is a PhD candidate researching J.R.R Tolkien and British Romanticism. The Education Secretary for The Tolkien Society, Will runs the Society’s academic events and has edited several books including Adapting Tolkien (2021), Tolkien and Diversity (2023), and Tolkien and the Gothic (2024). Most recently he co-edited The Romantic Spirit in the Works of J.R.R. Tolkien (2024) with Dr. Julian Eilmann. You can find out more about Will and his work at will-sherwood.com and on Twitter at @MrWillSherwood.