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
Experimental
Tolkien was an experimental writer, pushing the boundaries of literary and artistic convention. This month, we invite you to experiment with a new technique or approach to your fanworks. We’ve listed some prompts you can select from, but you’re also free to develop your own. 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
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with JazTheBard by Maglor
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Have you ever noticed that Lúthien, Maeglin, and Arwen share names that mean "twilight child"? While Lúthien and Arwen might make sense, how does Maeglin factor in? For her Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, JazTheBard explores this connection, noting that while Tolkien was surely aware of it in his own work, "he probably wouldn't agree with the conclusions I'm drawing from it!" Maglor interviewed Jaz about her upcoming presentation, "Twilight, Child Of: Comparisons Between Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel," her love of music (and musical plans for the presentation!), and how gender further complicates her conclusion.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Savannah Horrell by Anérea
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The Hobbit is essentially the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf told from the perspective of the thief: Bilbo Baggins. Although embroidered significantly beyond the poem that gave it its inspiration, that key plot element remains, along with other important connections to the Germanic literature that Tolkien loved. For the latest in our series of interviews of presenters for Mereth Aderthad 2025, Anérea spoke with Savannah Horrell about her upcoming presentation "By Guile Committed: Comparing Tolkien’s Thieves to Beowulf." Savannah notes important connections between Tolkien and Beowulf but observes that the two authors depict thieves quite differently, leading to works with very different tones and themes.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Zhie by Shadow
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Although not a scientist himself, Tolkien cared deeply for accuracy in the sciences in his work. Uncovering the scientific roots or applying the sciences to the legendarium is one area of scholarly and fannish inquiry. Shadow spoke with Zhie about Zhie's upcoming Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, "How to Make a Star from a Tree: The Science of Telperion and Laurelin," about the rewards and challenges of approaching such a topic as a nonscientist and the unique role that fans have to play in Tolkien scholarship.
Listen to Shadow's interview with Zhie here or read the transcript of the interview here.
Mereth Aderthad 2025: Program Posted
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We are excited to offer a first look at the program for Mereth Aderthad 2025, our twentieth birthday event coming up on July 19, 2025! The day will feature twelve presentations of Tolkien scholarship, each accompanied by stories, poetry, performances, and art.
The program will continue to evolve as our creators work on their pieces for the event, and you can always find the most up-to-date program on the Mereth Aderthad 2025 page, but we're delighted to share the range of topics and fanworks by so many brilliant writers, researchers, artists, and performers!
9:00-9:15 Welcome!
9:15-9:45
- "Cherished antagonist, despised protagonist - a defence of Elu Thingol" by Stella Getreuer-Kostrouch
- "Elu's decision" by Idrils Scribe
- "Of Thingol and the Silmaril" by Flora-lass
- Featured art Grey by fish
9:45-10:15
- "The Aromantic in Tolkien" by Shadow
- "Unexpected Commonalities" by chrissystriped
- Featured art A Spectrum by Silmalope
10:15-10:45
- "The Design of Dragons and Doom of the Dwarves" by cloudyhymns
- Written fanwork by bunn
- Featured art The Dragons, the Earth and the Dwarves by Varda delle Stelle
10:45-11:15
- "Gil-galad was an Elven King: Kingship and Personhood in the last High King of the Noldor" by Maglor
- "Arisen" by Shadow
- Featured art Banner of Stars by Kai
11:15-11:45
- "Exile, Ruin and Resistance: Beleriand as Postcolonial Palimpsest" by Dr. Zara Ashkenazi-Khan
- Story by cloudyhymns
11:45-12:15
- "By Guile Committed: Comparing Tolkien’s Thieves to Beowulf" by Savannah Horrell
- "Noble Thieves" by Dawn Felagund
- Featured art by bunn
12:15-1:00 Lunch
1:00-1:30
- "Mythmakers vs. the made myths: Exploring a reader’s levels of religious alienation and connection in works about and by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis" by Acha Rezak (Quente)
- "Great Stories" by Janeways
- Song by Zdenka
1:30-2:00
- "Love, Grief, and Alliterative Verse in Tolkien’s Legendarium" by Paul D. Deane
- Poem by Zdenka
2:00-2:30
- "Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation" by Cynthia (Cindy) Gates a.k.a. pandemonium_213
- "Lightborn" by Azh, Admirable Monster
- Featured art by Grundy
2:30-3:00
- "Twilight, Child Of: Comparisons Between Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel" by JazTheBard
- Story" by Maglor
- Featured art Three twilight children for the elven-kings under the sky by sesame
3:00-3:30
- "How To Make a Star From a Tree: The Science of Telperion and Laurelin" by Zhie
- "Light of the World" by Shadow
- Featured art Light of the Two Trees by Anérea
3:30-4:00
- "'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium" by polutropos
- "Lost Stars" by reese
If you'd like to join us, registration is free, and there are both in-person and virtual options. You can register for Mereth Aderthad 2025 here.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Paul D. Deane by Himring
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When we think of poetry, we often think first of the "roses are red, violets are blue" rhymed poetry or, if we're feeling avant garde, free verse. However, before rhymed poetry came with French culture after the Norman Invasion, poetry was alliterative: structured around complex metrical rules and cohered through alliteration: multiple words starting with the same sound.
Tolkien loved alliterative poetry, translated several important alliterative poems, and wrote his own original verse. At Mereth Aderthad 2025, Paul D. Deane will be sharing a paper titled "Love, Grief, and Alliterative Verse in Tolkien’s Legendarium" about how Tolkien and his fans have used alliterative versus to convey some of the works' most important themes surrounding love and grief. Himring had a chance to speak to Paul about his upcoming presentation, as well as his considerable body of research and original work on alliterative verse.
New Challenge: Musicals
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The curtain rises, the lights come up, and for the next few hours, you are transported to a world where people sing through their problems. Musicals tell stories ranging from the petty to the profound through song and, as they belt out from the stage, saturate the culture, moving from theater to film to radio, inspiring uninhibited shower-singing and getting unapologetically stuck in your head. This month's challenge draws its prompts from musicals. Select the prompt you want from the list and, as always, you can use any part of the prompt—including delving deeper into the lyrics and performance of the selected songs—in crafting your fanwork.
You can find the prompts for the Musicals challenge here.
Thank you to silmalope for this month's gorgeous banner and stamps!
In order to receive a stamp for your fanwork, your response must be posted to the archive on or before 15 May 2025. Note that the Birthday Bash challenge will continue to run through April 25. For complete challenge guidelines, see the Challenges page on our website.
So You Want to Present at a Tolkien Conference? Putting Together the Presentation
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You've written your proposal and been accepted to present at your first Tolkien conference—now what? This session explored how to write a paper and turn it into a presentation for a Tolkien conference. Topics in this session included:
- How to structure your paper, including considerations unique to writing a paper that will become a presentation
- What to include in each section of your paper, including how to prioritize and balance these sections for a presentation
- Different ways to present a paper at a conference and how to build a presentation from your paper
- Using universal design concepts to ensure that your presentation is accessible to everyone
- Tools for adding interactive elements to your presentation
You can find a recording of the session, plus resources/links discussed in the session, here: So You Want to Present at a Tolkien Conference? Putting Together the Presentation
Archive Software Upgrade and Downtime Postponed
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We will be performing a major software update on the SWG site/archive on Saturday, April 19, beginning in the morning Eastern Time, and members and visitors should anticipate site downtime on that date.
This update has been postponed! We will share the new date as soon as we have it.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with cloudyhymns by Shadow
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Tolkien popularized many elements of the modern fantasy genre and perhaps none more so than dragons. You don't even have to love a good fantasy novel to appreciate the mystery, aesthetic, and mythic roots of these beasts. But, in Tolkien, we know relatively little about dragons. As part of our ongoing interview series of presenters at Mereth Aderthad 2025, Shadow interviewed cloudyhymns about his paper "The Design of Dragons and the Doom of the Dwarves," where he draws on Norse myth and evidence from the legendarium to explore the nature of dragons in Tolkien's work and their connection to the Dwarves.
Instadrabbling Sessions for April, May, and June
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Anna (IdleLeaves) has kindly offered to host regular instadrabbling sessions on our Discord server on the first Saturday of each month! We welcome all creators to join us for an few hours of creating, squeeing, and hanging out with fellow fans on the following dates:
- April 5, 2025 at 6PM/18:00 UTC (find this in my timezone)
- May 3, 2025 at 6PM/18:00 UTC (find this in my timezone)
- June 7, 2025 at 6PM/18:00 UTC (find this in my timezone)
What is instadrabbling? Instadrabbling is a long-standing community activity in the Tolkien fanfiction fandom. A group of friends gets together on chat, someone throws out a prompt or four, and everyone writes a drabble (or whatever comes to mind). We share our creations in the server and admire each other's work. Instadrabbling is low-pressure and casual, and all are encouraged to participate to whatever degree they are comfortable. Instadrabbling responses shared on our server can be about any aspect of Tolkien's legendarium, not just Silmworks.
When we instadrabble, we meet on the #instadrabbling channel on our Discord server. Discord invites can be requested at any time from the moderators. All are welcome to join the Discord, whether you want to instadrabble with us or not!
