New Challenge: Allusive
Literature and art constantly refer back to each other using allusions, and this month's prompts are inspired by allusions to literature, myth, art, and history.
SWG News
Cultus Dispatches: "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far)
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data for 2025 shows that "The Rings of Power" TV series has not had the same impact on the fandom as the film trilogies did ... so far.
New Challenge: Building Middle-earth
Let global architecture be your inspiration in this challenge, where you will work with a prompts that are architectural styles, locations in Arda, or both.
Cultus Dispatches: Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Ten years of demographic data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey show consistencies in who reads and writes fanfiction, as well as a few key demographic shifts.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] From That Rubble by StarSpray
Fëanor shrugged, studying the contents of his wine glass. “Something must be done about that house. It will fall down eventually.”
“It does not follow that it must be you that tears it down single-handedly. Are you sure you do not want help?”
“It’s not as though I…
[Writing] Explain This by Elrond's Library
Melkor demands an account of Mairon’s failures.
[Writing] Message in a Bottle by StarSpray
Over the course of his very long life he had found a handful of messages in bottles, but it had been a very long time. So when he found the glass bottle on his little stretch of pebbly beach, he picked it up with the intention of tossing it into his recycling. But it wasn’t, he found, just…
[Writing] Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael
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…
[Writing] A Thousand Winds that Blow by StarSpray
When uneasy dreams bring him back into Beleriand, Daeron finds a pair of twins who have lost their home, and an enemy who has lost himself. The Shadow's reach is growing ever longer, and if they are to survive, they must do it together.
[Artwork] Nerdanel/Nienna moodboard by Independence1776
A Nerdanel/Nienna moodboard.
[Writing] The Stars of Home by Idrils Scribe
Elrohir has been found after his long abduction by the Black Númenóreans of Umbar. He comes home to Rivendell, but all is not well: the Elf-child that was taken is now a Man grown. War and darkness have left Elrohir deeply scarred, and even at home there is danger...
An alternate universe…
Current Challenge
Random Challenge
Heroes
Create a fanwork about a hero, whether the typical saves-the-world type or the unlikely, unsung, and accidental, those who have been forgotten or perhaps were never noticed at all, who made their worlds a better place. Read more ...
New in References
"The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far) by Dawn Walls-Thumma
The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film trilogies mark perhaps the most influential events in the history of the Tolkien fanfiction fandom. As the Rings of Power show approaches its third season, data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows that it is not even close to matching the impact of the films ... yet.
Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Data from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey shows demographic changes in participant gender, age, and education and new revelations about neurodiversity.
Communities Do Comment: Expanding the 3C's of Commenting with SWG Data by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Expanding on my 2018 article "Why People Don't Comment," comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Featured Themed Collection
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Down the Long Years by Isilme_among_the_stars
Bilbo, the strange old hobbit with the wandering feet, senses something special in young Frodo the first time he sees the lad; as they become close, they find in each other a cameraderie not well understood by other hobbits. Five poignant moments between Bilbo and Frodo Baggins over the course…
[Artwork] The Mirror of Galadriel by skywardstruck
Smoke rises from the Mirror, where the Lady of Lothlórien awaits to share its visions.
Around the World and Web
Finwean Sibblings Prompt Fest 2026
A prompt-based fandom event aiming to focus on celebrating Finwë's children: Fëanor, Findis, Fingolfin, Lalwen, & Finarfin - ships, gen relationships, or character-centric
Tolkien Sapphic September
Tolkien Sapphic September is a month long event focusing on Sapphic relationships and characters in Tolkien and adjacent materials.
Gigolas Week 2026
Gigolas Week is a tumblr event focusing on the relationship between Legolas and Gimli
Innumerable Stars 2026
A character-based Tolkien fandom gift exchange is returning for another year of gifting.
New and Updated Link Collections
Tolkien Connections by SWG Newsletter Staff
If you love The New York Times' game Connections, this collection includes Tolkien-themed Connections games featured in our newsletter.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fanwork Collection | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
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Bedtime Stories by Anérea
Just a few of my favourite podfics that I've found soothing for bedtime (or middle of the night, or any time really) listening.
| Major Characters: Celebrimbor, Narvi, Belladonna Took Baggins, Gandalf, Bungo Baggins, Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Elwing, Eärendil, Olwë, Númenóreans, Dúnedain, Elrond, Celebrían, Maglor, Maedhros, Celegorm, Caranthir, Mandos, Frodo, Samwise Gamgee, Narvi, Aulë, Ilmarë, Thuringwethil, Fox, River-woman |
| Major Relationships: Celebrimbor/Narvi, Celebrían/Elrond, Ilmarë/Thuringwethil, Daeron/Maglor, Eärendil/Elwing, Caranthir/Original Character |
| Genres: Fanwork Collection, Recommendation List | Challenges: In Rare Form, Jubilee |
| Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: Check Notes for Warnings |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
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The Fics that Hooked Me: a rec list by Anérea
These are the first fanfics I ever read, and they are all truly fabulous and absolutely timeless and 100% recommended!
| Major Characters: Maedhros, Fingon, Sauron, Celebrimbor, Aragorn, Legolas Greenleaf, Fëanor, Sons of Fëanor, Nerdanel, Galadriel, Celeborn, Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Maglor, Halbarad |
| Major Relationships: Fingon/Maedhros, Celebrimbor/Sauron, Celeborn/Galadriel, Fëanor/Nerdanel, Maglor/Halbarad, Aragorn & Legolas |
| Genres: Recommendation List | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Tolkien's "Collected Poems": A Link Collection by Himring
A collection of links to material publicly available online on the The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien, the edition by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond, published in September 2024.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Reference Collection | Challenges: Tolkien Meta Week |
| Rating: General | Warnings: |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
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Orcs Are People by cuarthol
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.
| Major Characters: Orcs |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fanwork Collection | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Alliterative Verse for Arda by Rhunedhel
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features alliterative poems about Middle-earth.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fanwork Collection | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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The Ruling Queens of Númenor by Himring
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features fanworks about the three ruling queens of Númenor: Tar-Ancalimë, Tar-Telperiën, and Tar-Vanimeldë.
| Major Characters: Tar-Ancalimë, Tar-Telperiën, Tar-Vanimeldë |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fanwork Collection | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
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Horrifying October: A Retrospective (Link Collection) by Himring
In 2016, the Library of Moria community on LiveJournal ran a Horrifying October challenge, with 31 prompts, one for each day of the month.
The challenge asked for both new works and recs.
The link collection offers a selection from the submissions back in 2016.
Besides being selective, this is also a WIP.
However, you can find links to all the round-ups on LiveJournal (and so indirectly to all submissions) in the Collection Notes.
For more background on the Library of Moria and its community see the current Cultus Dispatches post: A Tribute to the Library of Moria
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Fanwork Collection | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
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Everything In Order by Grundy
I've said many times that nearly everything I write is in the same continuity. So here's an attempt at collecting it all in order. (Still a work in progress at this point...trying out link collections to see if this is the way to go, or if it would make more sense to just start a new story and plunk it all there.)
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
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Tolkien Fanworks Scholarship Bibliography by Dawn Felagund
This collection includes links to online open-access scholarship about Tolkien-based fanworks.
| Major Characters: No major characters listed |
| Major Relationships: No major relationships listed |
| Genres: Reference Collection | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: Creator Chooses Not to Rate | Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is a work in progress. |
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