Sign-Up to Hand Out Scavenger Hunt Prompts
Our May challenge will be a Matryoshka built around a scavenger hunt. If you'd like to hand out prompts (and receive comments on your work for doing so!), you can sign up to do so.
SWG News
New Challenge: Everyman
Create a fanwork about an ordinary character in the legendarium using a quote about an unnamed character as inspiration.
Cultus Dispatches: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn and Grundy
The fan studies column Cultus Dispatches returns with a history of how Tolkien fanworks fandom has reacted and resisted generative AI by drawing strong boundaries in a way that is not typical for the fandom.
Instadrabbling Sessions for April, May, and June
Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] How Tolkien Presents Ordinary People in "The Silmarillion" by Dawn Felagund
Inspired by collecting the prompts for the Everyman challenge, this essay considers how ordinary people are subsumed and silenced in The Silmarillion, which begins a three-book arc that ends with the rise of the humble and ordinary.
[Writing] Blessed are the Leave-takers by Isilme_among_the_stars
As prince Curufinwë Fëanáro makes an historical speech from the high court of the King upon Túna, those at the back of the crowd strain to hear.
A silly little scene inspired by Monty Python's "Blessed are the Cheesemakers" scene from The Life of Brian, written for …
[Writing] After the Kinslaying by Deborah Judge
A Teleri fishing boat captain turns to farming on abandoned Noldor lands after her ship is stolen. A Noldor farmer returns with Finarfin to find that his land belongs to the Teleri now.
[Writing] I Sit and Think of Times There Were Before by Erdariel
In his old age, Isildur's former esquire Ruinamacil, known to later histories only as Ohtar, writes his own account of his escape from the ambush at Gladden Fields and journey to Imladris, and the history of his friend whom Isildur ordered to flee with him.
[Writing] Until the Stars are All Alight by Dagstjarna
Reembodied in Aman, Celebrimbor decides to return to Middle earth to help heal the darkness and hurt wrought by the ring.
[Writing] a riot of shadow and shine by Elrond's Library
These were simply flashes, a hint of a wider, greater world. A tantalizing glimpse of more, always at the edge of awareness, never within reach. Míriel would grasp it, if something as intangible as the concept of color could overflow in bounteous wonder over her hands.
But…
[Writing] The Exchange by Elrond's Library
An exchange is made during the Great Journey
Current Challenge
Everyman
Create a fanwork about an ordinary character in the legendarium using a quote about an unnamed character as inspiration. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Start to Finish
Choose one of the famous first lines from the list below and use it to start your story. If you are creating a fanwork other than writing, you may use one of the first lines to inspire your fanwork. Read more ...
New in References
Fandom Draws the Line: Fanworks, AI, and Resistance by Dawn Felagund, Grundy
By definition, fanworks fandom does not draw a lot of boundaries, but community archives and events have taken a strong stance against AI-generated fanworks due to ethical considerations and member input.
Grief, Grieving, and Permission to Mourn in the "Quenta Silmarillion" by Dawn Walls-Thumma
In a book as full of death as the Quenta Silmarillion, grief and mourning are surprisingly absent. The characters who receive grief and mourning—and those who don't—appear to do so due to narrative bias. Grief and mourning (or a lack of them) serve to draw attention toward and away from objectionable actions committed by characters.
Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation by Cynthia (Cindy) Gates
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the parallels between the concept of abnegation in the scientific work surrounding the atomic bomb and in The Silmarillion. The relinquishment of self-interest in favor of the interests of others, abnegation was identified by Tolkien as a powerful act of spirit and reason. The legendarium has many examples of the complexities of abnegation, which parallel similar discussions held by physicists during and after World War II.
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.
[Writing] Bar-en-Eladar by Gabriel
Out of the shadow, light is born anew.
A Chieftain is dead. And whilst the events surrounding his death are unclear, a son tries to come to terms with his loss.
Around the World and Web
Week of Kiliel
A Tumblr event dedicated to the relationship between Kili and Tauriel.
Aspec Arda Week 2026
This week-long event celebrates asexual and aromantic spectrum interpretations and headcanons of Tolkien’s Legendarium.
Angbang Week 2026
Angbang Week is a tumblr event focusing on the relationship between Morgoth and Sauron, running from May 5-11, 2026
April/May Teitho Challenge
Teithio is running a prompt challenge around the theme of "heartbreak."
Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang 2026
The Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang is back for another summer of collaboration between artists and writers!
SWG News
Character of Month: Húrin, Part Two
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In June, Melesta shared the first half of Húrin's biography, where they make the case that he is a prototypical hero within the legendarium, a character who possibly inspired Third Age heroes like Aragorn. This month, in the biography's second half, Húrin's life takes a turn for the tragic. (But of course! It is The Silmarillion!)
Húrin might have one of the rawest deals in a book of raw deals. After sacrificing himself so that Gondolin could survive, he experiences physical and psychological torment in Morgoth's hands, helplessly watches the tragic demise of his family, and once freed, goes forth not to a hero's welcome but to mistrust and a series of betrayals. Melesta teases out the elements of this part of the story that have deeper historical and literary resonances, including what Húrin's story tells us of heroism.
Tolkien Fanartics: Interview with Ismene
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Tolkien artist Ismene's illustrations and character portraits fairly leap off of the screen ... or now the page. Ismene's artwork was recently featured on the cover of the Tolkien Society Seminar proceedings for Tolkien and Diversity. Since Shadow recently reviewed this volume, we hoped that Ismene would chat with us about what it's like to be a self-taught Tolkien fan artist whose work was chosen for the proceedings of the best-attended Tolkien Society Seminar, and she kindly obliged.
In this month's Tolkien Fanartics, Anérea spoke with Ismene about the draw (pardon the pun!) of The Silmarillion as an inspiration of fan art, her creative process, and of course the Tolkien character she would meet in person if given the chance. You can read Anérea's interview with Ismene here.
Volunteer Wanted: Assistant Art Editor
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Do you love Tolkien fan art? Do you want to help artists get more recognition for their work? Would you like to get more involved with the SWG as one of our volunteers?
Since rebuilding our site two years ago, one of our primary aims has been to give more focus to the many talented artists found in the Tolkien fandom. With each of our newsletter articles, a work of art is selected to accompany the article, with preference given to fan artists whenever possible, a task that is currently managed by Aneréa, our art editor.
We are looking for an assistant art editor to help Aneréa manage this growing area of our site. As an assistant editor, you will help Aneréa communicate with newsletter writers to generate ideas for artwork, source the art that appears alongside newsletter articles, contact artists for permission, and feature that art on Tumblr. The role will require up to a few hours per week.
If you're interested in helping out with art for our newsletter, contact our moderator team.
A Sense of History: Beleriand in Beowulf
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Back in 2009, Angelica considered the Anglo-Saxon influences in The Silmarillion in her article Beowulf in Beleriand. In this month's A Sense of History column, Simon J. Cook turns that concept on its head, considering in what ways Tolkien saw Beleriand in Beowulf, namely the "northern feeling" described by so many readers of Tolkien's First Age work, where history grinds toward a seemingly inevitable decline and loss. Simon considers specifically the metaphor of the tower, present in Tolkien's influential 1936 lecture "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics," where a man uses old stones to build a tower to gaze upon the sea. The sea, Simon argues, is the unknown that has been forgotten by the Anglo-Saxons in Beowulf—or the "wise talkers" of Middle-earth who look back in nostalgic half-remembrance to a drowned world.
New Challenge: Dip the Ladle
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But if we speak of a Cauldron, we must not wholly forget the Cooks. There are many things in the Cauldron, but the Cooks do not dip in the ladle quite blindly. Their selection is important. The gods are after all gods, and it is a matter of some moment what stories are told of them. … Small wonder that spell means both a story told, and a formula of power over living men.
~ Tolkien, On Fairy-stories
Tolkien is often credited with establishing the modern fantasy genre as it is known today. Certainly, his work has inspired authors, artists, filmmakers, and other creatives for decades. However, as his 1938 lecture On Fairy-stories attests, he saw his own work as a "cauldron of story," drawing with skill from centuries of myth, legend, and tales to come before him.
This month's challenge considers Tolkien's many inspirations, from the books and poems he read, to the illustrations they contained, to the places important in his life. If you wish to participate this month, you will be assigned a prompt by a moderator that you can use to create a fanwork. As always, you can interpret your prompt however you want and use any part or parts you want—we encourage creative uses of our prompts! If a prompt doesn't speak to you, let one of our moderators know, and we'll dip the ladle again.
To receive a prompt, comment on our Dreamwidth, send us an ask on Tumblr, post in the #monthly-challenges channel on our Discord, or message us through the SWG site. If you have a preference for the type of prompt we send you, please specify if you would like an image of a location, an image of a book cover/illustration, or a quote.
In order to receive a stamp for your fanwork, your response must be posted to the archive on or before 15 August 2023. As July is Disability Pride Month, we also offer a stamp for any fanworks featuring a character with a disability. For complete challenge guidelines, see the Challenges page on our website.
Many thanks to Oxbridge for this month's stamps!
Read & Review: "Tolkien and Diversity"
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Diversity in the works and fandom of J.R.R. Tolkien has been a topic of much discussion in recent years as recognition grows that Tolkien's "mythology for England" is read by far more than the English ... or English speakers even. The Tolkien fan community is an international one, with fans from every inhabited continent on the globe bringing their perspectives to bear on the legendarium. Within this international community, Tolkien fans belong to myriad identity groups, some of them marginalized in both Tolkien's and the real world. Significant media coverage devoted to the diverse casting of Amazon's Rings of Power series rocketed these discussions—once limited to some fannish and scholarly enclaves—into the realm of popular discourse.
The 2021 Tolkien Society Seminar on the theme "Tolkien and Diversity" was therefore timely. The best-attended seminar to date, Tolkien and Diversity has now been published as a book containing some of the papers delivered at the seminar. In our latest Read & Review column, Shadow takes a look at the proceedings and what they have to offer to the Tolkien fan who is interested in the topic. They conclude that the proceedings balance discussion of the international fan community with papers about marginalized identities and provide a summary of each paper before offering advice to potential buyers about whether the book is a good addition to their Tolkien collection.
Character of the Month: Draugluin
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Wolves populate the shadows of much of Western folklore, and Tolkien's legendarium—ladling as it does from that Cauldron of Story—is no exception. Draugluin is one of several wolves or wolfish beings who appear in Tolkien's stories: the lord of the werewolves. Although only briefly appearing, his presence in the story is a memorable one, as he challenges (and is slain by) Huan, and his skin is used by Beren to sneak into Angband.
In this month's biography of Draugluin, Narya explores not only the evolution of his character in the legendarium (hint: he was early-appearing but in very different form) but the folkloric roots that Tolkien may have drawn from ... and those he definitely did not. As is often the case with Tolkien, Narya finds deep roots in language and lore that helped inform the character of Draugluin.
Read & Review: "The Battle of Maldon"
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Although we know Tolkien as one of the most influential authors of the 20th century, the progenitor of the modern fantasy genre, he would have likely defined himself by his academic work, as a professor and scholar of Old English. The recent posthumous volume The Battle of Maldon includes his prose translation of that text, a fanfiction (yes, really!) based on it, and a lecture on Old English poetry.
In the latest article in our occasional Read & Review column, Narya reviews The Battle of Maldon. What can you expect to find in its pages? And as a non-Middle-earth book by Tolkien, is it a book you should consider adding to your collection?
Cultus Dispatches: Affirmational Fandom, Transformational Fandom, and Two Old Tolkien Fanfics
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Although Star Trek and media fandom are often credited as the beginning of fanfiction, the first fanfiction texts are much older than that and oriented in book fandoms. (The first fanfics are older even than the term fanfiction!) The first two known Tolkien fanfics appeared in the 1960 fanzine I Palantir, and they couldn't be more different.
This month's Cultus Dispatches column analyzes these two old fics, in particular how they illustrate the fan studies concept of affirmational and transformational fandom. Transformational fandom is often depicted as the fertile field where fanworks grow, but Tolkien fanworks (and probably many other fandoms' fanworks as well) defy this, drawing on affirmational elements oriented in mastery of canon and consideration of Tolkien's authority. The earliest Tolkien fanfics not only show how both "types of fandom" can give rise to fanworks but how, even in fanworks that clearly belong to one or the other, elements of the other fandom approach are essential to making a particular story work.
New Challenge: The Secret Gate
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Sherlock Holmes. Miss Marple. Lieutenant Columbo. Kurt Wallander. Benoit Blanc. Your preferred sleuth may vary, but there’s nothing like a good whodunnit. From the most arcane puzzle to the easiest open and shut case, all mystery novels require certain basic elements. This month’s challenge is a Matryoshka that presents you with the building blocks of a mystery novel. When requesting your prompts, make sure to specify the difficulty level you would like: Beginner (2 prompts), Easy (3 prompts), Medium (5 prompts), or Difficult (7 prompts). Contact the mods to request a prompt set or sets.
While the prompts are elements of a mystery, your fanwork does not need to be a mystery—use the prompts as you see fit. As June is Pride month, we have a special stamp for fanworks featuring LGBTQ+ characters.
In order to receive a stamp for your fanwork, your response must be posted to the archive on or before 15 July 2023. For complete challenge guidelines, see the Challenges page on our website.
Many thanks to Varda delle Stelle for this month's lovely set of stamps!
