Journey deep into Tolkien’s imagination, from The Lord of the Ring’s mythic roots to its enduring legacy. Followed by Q&A.
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.