Founded in 2005, the Silmarillion Writers' Guild exists for discussions of and creative fanworks based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion and related texts. We are a positive-focused and open-minded space that welcomes fans from all over the world and with all levels of experience with Tolkien's works. Whether you are picking up Tolkien's books for the first time or have been a fan for decades, we welcome you to join us!
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Dawn Felagund by Shadow In our series of interviews of creators for Mereth Aderthad, Shadow spoke with Dawn about her story, written for Savannah Horrell's "By Guile Committed: Comparing Tolkien’s Thieves to Beowulf" presentation, the balance of planning an event and creating for it at the same time, and the intersection of Tolkien and Beowulf.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Cindy Gates by Grundy Cindy Gates' upcoming Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation "Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation" considers the ethics of science in the legendarium. Grundy spoke with Cindy about her research, her own experience as a professional scientist, and her long-running fascination with the Manhattan Project.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Azh, Admirable Monster by Shadow As a physicist themself, Azh confronts the issues around the ethical use of science in both the professional and creative realms. Shadow spoke with Azh about their story "Lightborn," written to accompany Cindy Gates' Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation “Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation,” its real-life inspirations, and the importance of fallibility in Tolkien's world.
This is my new poetical attempt to add my own interpretation to Tolkien's Cosmology as to Eru's Creation and the Valar's minds and behind-the-scene providence reasons and mechanisms.. I often review Eä as part of our own world, just in another dimension, this is why I have always seriously…
Little moments of reflection with Maglor as he comes to terms with grief. A collection of drabbles and other short writings to accompany One in the Deep Waters.
They passed out of Lhûn and the wider coastline of Middle-earth opened up before his eyes. He had wandered those shores for centuries, and even now he felt the pull of that same wanderlust, and knew he would miss them for the rest of his life. Their wildness, the untamed waves, the rocky…
Reese is the featured author for polutropos's presentation "'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium" at Mereth Aderthad 2025. Dawn spoke with reese about the silences storytellers leave, mythology, and the appeal of alternate universe fanfiction.
Maedhros finds that regret and pain do not end with death. But it does at last bring release from the oath and he can at last embark upon the long, hard road toward redemption.
Reese is the featured author for polutropos's presentation "'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium" at Mereth Aderthad 2025. Dawn spoke with reese about the silences storytellers leave, mythology, and the appeal of alternate universe fanfiction.
Kai is the featured artist for Maglor's Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, "Gil-galad was an Elven King: Kingship and Personhood in the last High King of the Noldor." Shadow spoke with Kai about his wide range of interests and inspirations in the legendarium and why Maglor's presentation so intrigued him that he finished the art for it the first night.
Cindy Gates' presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025, "Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation," explores the ethics of refusal in the (mis)use of science and technology. A retired scientist herself, Cindy spoke to Grundy about her upcoming presentation and its inspiration in Cindy's fascination with the Manhattan Project.
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features fiction, artwork, and essays that transcend the idea of Orcs as the enemy, instead considering their humanity.
Once upon a time, JRR Tolkien wrote a fairy-tale retelling, an attempt to reconstruct an alternative version of the ancient poem called Beowulf, and he called it Sellic Spell: 'strange tale' or 'wondrous tale'.
Once upon a time, on the long road home from the Lonely…
The tale of Dáin Ironfoot, told loosely in the style of a saga of Iceland (in English translation).
Around the World and Web
Celebrimbor Week 2025
A Tumblr event celebrating Celebrimbor as he is depicted in all books and media.
June challenge at tolkienshortfanworks on Dreamwidth
The June challenge has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth: thematic prompt: reward - regard; formal challenge: alliteration. As always, these prompts can be filled separately or combined freely with other challenges that allow it.
Joyful June 2025
Joyful June is a fanworks event on Tumblr and AO3 where the goal is to let our favourite characters be happy.
Tolkien Ekphrasis Week 2025
This is a Tolkien-fandom-wide event dedicated to the art of ekphrasis in Tolkien's worlds. Its goal is to illuminate the artistic surroundings of the places, people, and stories we love, in as many media as possible.
Major Characters: No major characters listed Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge:Potluck Bingo Rating:General Warnings: No warnings listed
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Art for Potluck Bingo. B1 -' gloomy hush of night' from the board by Himring
Major Characters:Manwë, Melkor Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge:Potluck Bingo Rating:General Warnings: No warnings listed
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Major Characters:Aredhel Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge: No challenge listed Rating:General Warnings: No warnings listed
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Major Characters: No major characters listed Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge:Potluck Bingo Rating:General Warnings: No warnings listed
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Assorted prompt fills for the 2024 Potluck bingo boards, to varying degrees of completion! :)
Major Characters: No major characters listed Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge:Potluck Bingo Rating:General Warnings: No warnings listed
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Artwork for Elleth’s Potluck Bingo board: starting off appropriately with Piecemeal Palace in Himring — Maedhros’ potlucky manor house, aka where Elrond & Elros grew up ✨
"... the long-tressed Wingildi ... spirits of the foam and the surf of ocean." ~ a painted sketch for Scribbles and Drabbles 2024.
Major Characters:Maiar, Original Female Character(s) Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge: No challenge listed Rating:General Warnings: No warnings listed
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Created for the 'Geography/Maps/Places' prompt on the "Tolkien meta" bingo board, this is a collection of maps marked with the various people groups showing how they arrived and moved about Beleriand. This collection focuses specifically on the time from the arrival of the Teleri, Vanyar, and Noldor before they went to Aman up to the distribution of the various kingdoms after the Flight of the Noldor, when they arrived in Middle-earth and settled there.
Major Characters:Sauron Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge: No challenge listed Rating:General Warnings: No warnings listed
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Laughter and Mourning, the daughters of Húrin. An illustration for the 2024 Orctober challenge prompt “eyes”.
Major Characters:Nienor, Lalaith Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge:Orctober Rating:General Warnings: No warnings listed
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Major Characters: No major characters listed Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge: No challenge listed Rating:General Warnings: No warnings listed
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A short comic for the Sept-Oct 2024 Idiomatic challenge. The stifling environment of Eöl’s “dim halls, silent and secret” contrasts with young Maeglin’s idealized vision of Gondolin as a divine, sunlit paradise, home to the godlike Noldor.
When Doriath fell, Elwing was too young to remember the family she lost. When she wears the Nauglamir, the Silmaril, and the Ring of Barahir for the first time, she feels the burden of their legacy.
Major Characters:Elwing Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge: No challenge listed Rating:General Warnings: No warnings listed
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Major Characters:Celegorm Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge: No challenge listed Rating:General Warnings: No warnings listed
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This is my second art entry for the TRSB24 event. It focuses on Thorin Oakenshield surviving BOTFA and darker themes of pyrrhic victory, dragon sickness, longevity/eternity, angst/love.
This is one of my art entries for the TRSB24 event. It focuses on the Dwarves living in the East, specifically Dwarf-women.
Major Characters:Dwarves, Original Character(s) Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge: No challenge listed Rating:General Warnings: No warnings listed
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Major Characters:Maedhros Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge: No challenge listed Rating:Teens Warnings:Mature Themes, Violence (Mild)
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A drawing of an oasis in the desert at nighttime. In the centre is a "Tree of 40 Fruit" with pink leaves. To the right of it is a small hut with a yellow roof and lit up windows.
Quote: "The “Tree of 40 Fruit” is Van Aken’s creation, a single tree that can produce 40 different stone fruits, or fruit with pits, including peaches, apricots, plums, cherries and nectarines." However, why the heck can't it exist naturally (because magic/A Wizard, or maybe Vala Did It) in Beleriand/Middle-earth (or, at the very least, have been invented by someone else who's interested in hybridization. But who is it?)(https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/03/living/tree-40-fruit-sam-van-aken-feat/index.html: link to inspiration for the tree)
Major Characters: No major characters listed Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge: No challenge listed Rating:Creator Chooses Not to Rate Warnings: No warnings listed
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A drawing of a nokk, which in this case is a blue horse with green fins and a green mane and tail swimming in the ocean. It has a thought bubble near its head reading: "Fish?? I am a Nokk!" Near the bottom swims a small grey fish. In the top right is a red buoy with a seagull perched on top. The speech bubble next to it reads: "Horsefish?? Mine?" (The Nokk is responding to the seagull, or trying to.)
Major Characters: No major characters listed Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge: No challenge listed Rating:Creator Chooses Not to Rate Warnings: No warnings listed
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A brown (seemingly wooden) crate of anchovies (or other similar small, silver-y fish) lying on a bed of green kelp. Most of the fish are gone, only six or so remain. Where did they go? Who possesses this crate, if anyone? Where did they get it? Did they catch the fish? Buy them? Sell them? Steal them? It is a mystery for now...
(or until someone adopts this prompt, of course. Drawn for Scribbles & Drabbles 2024).
Major Characters: No major characters listed Major Relationships: No major relationships listed Challenge: No challenge listed Rating:Creator Chooses Not to Rate Warnings: No warnings listed
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