New Challenge: Title Track
Tolkien's titles range from epic to lyrical to metaphorical. This month's challenge selected 125 of them as prompts for fanworks.
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!
New Challenge: Title Track
Tolkien's titles range from epic to lyrical to metaphorical. This month's challenge selected 125 of them as prompts for fanworks.
Our Annual Amnesty Challenge: New Year's Resolution
Start 2026 off with creativity! If you missed a challenge or didn't get to finish or post a challenge fanwork, complete any 2025 challenge before 15 February to receive the stamp.
"The Fëanorian Zine" Available to Read and Download
We are pleased to be able to offer "The Fëanorian Zine" to read and download on the SWG for free.
Call for Artists for the 2026 Challenge Stamps
We are soliciting help from artists who want to help create the stamps we award to challenge participants.
[Writing] In Early Spring by Serinquanion
In what Maedhros was re-embodied early and was sent back to Middle Earth on his volition with Glorfindel.
This isn't about what happened right then but years after Fall of Sauron when he still refused to return to Valinor.
He found a strange sapling at the shore of what remains of…
[Writing] Umnenyalië by Serinquanion
He was going to die. The molten rocks would burn him just like the cursed gem in his palm did. Maybe less painfully but still being burnt hurt and Maedhros knew it. He intimately knew it from his time in Angband where Þauron burnt him often in frustration and to toy with him and his master…
[Writing] Winter Warmth by Serinquanion
A winter night in Himring. But inside the quarters where fire blazed in hearth was warmer, and not only from the fire or quilt.
[Writing] A Hundred Miles Through the Desert by StarSpray
“Come on.” Maedhros grabbed his hand and pulled him along down the path, both of them quickening their pace now, until the trees opened up into a wide meadow filled with flowers, bright yellow celandine and dandelions and sweet-scented pale chamomile mingling with cornflowers and irises. On…
[Writing] Who Will Hear Me? by XirinOfArvada
A lonely elf finds a flute half buried beneath the sand and wonders if its owner will hear him when he calls.
[Writing] Loyal, Faithful by Himring
Late in the Second Age, one of the Faithful reflects critically on past developments. (Free verse.)
[Writing] East Away! by Flora-lass
Aldarion storms off towards Middle-earth. For the Title Track challenge.
Title Track
Create a fanwork using our collection of 125 titles from Tolkien's books, chapters, essays, poems, and fragments as inspiration. Read more ...
Postcards from Middle-earth
Receive a postcard from an unnamed character and create a fanwork using the image, the message, or both. Read more ...
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.
Twilight, Child Of: Comparisons Between Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel by JazTheBard
This presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025 discusses the many similarities between Tolkien's three "twilight children," Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel (Luthien, Maeglin, and Arwen) in terms of appearance, plot, and cultural background. Yet these three characters play very different roles in the text.
The Aromantic in Tolkien by daughterofshadows
Presented at Mereth Aderthad 2025, this paper makes the case thata, although the term "aromantic" had not yet been coined in Tolkien's day, many of his characters can be read as aromantic. The paper takes a closer look at Aredhel, Bilbo, and Boromir as three examples of characters who can be read as aromantic.
[Writing] here you will dwell, bound to your grief by Elrond's Library
Arwen grieves, and loves.
[Writing] Faramir's Verse by losselen
“Come, Faramir. Let us not stand in ceremony. I think words are due between you and I, and not only those between a King and his Steward.”
Faramir has speech with Gandalf and his King.
[Writing] In a Hole in the Ground... by StarSpray
“There’s a goblin hiding in the taters, Dad!” Pippin hefted the pan, which was much too big for him to carry, let alone wield.
March Challenge - Tolkien Short Fanworks
Tolkien Short Fanworks is running a challenge for the month of March to create a Back to Middle-earth Month themed challenge.
Tolkien Fashion Week 2026
This two-week-long Tumblr event is dedicated to honoring the world of fashion and textiles Tolkien wrote about in his books.
Celegorm and Curufin Week 2026
Celegorm and Curufin Week is a Tumblr week celebrating the relationship between Celegorm and Curufin Feanorion
Back to Middle-earth Month 2026
Back to Middle-earth Month is returning for it's 20th year with many prompts and archival efforts.
I've often wondered if Curufinwe might not have been relieved when Celebrimbor refused to follow him from Nargothrond. I'd like to think that was the case. Interesting character study!
I'm of the rather firm persuasion that he didn't WANT him to follow, didn't WANT him to swear the Oath and throw his life away like the rest of them on an unwinnable goal - at this point, he has no illusions that they'll succeed in claiming the Silmarils... So my reading is rather influenced towards Nargothrond being his last-ditch attempt to be a Father to Celebrimbor...
I've even seen pieces in which the very public disagreement was scripted by curufin & Celebrimbor together, a way to limit the losses - after all, all of the people who had followed C&C Sr remained in Nargothrond with Celebrimbor... and of course, that might come down to "we won't follow you no more" but it might as easily be "Command is passing to him, you now owe my son your allegiance" type of thing.
Help, now I'm full of feels!
This is wonderful. I love your take on Curufin as a father - a great change from the much more frequent controlling, demanding, self-absorbed depiction of Curufin. Love the idea that Curufin was proud of Celebrimbor for taking a different road.
This is very much the Curufin of my Memory Lane fic ;) and I don't tend to see him in such a terrible light(if even Tolkien agreed that he was depicted as worse than reality in the luthien tale, who am I to argue?) so my Curufin is... Not glad, because he is going to miss his son, but at the same time there is no longer the threat of Celebrimbor taking the Oath hanging over him, which is a profound relief. He is also quite proud that he managed to raise a good man (a better man than himself, at least)... I still haven't decided how the argument panned out, but honestly I wouldn't put it past Curufin to have staged the whole thing with or without Celebrimbor's knowledge, just as a last attempt at saving him from the fate that awaits him and his brothers.
Part of him also thinks that perhaps Telperina will forgive him for getting her killed if he manages to save their son - an unspoken thought that has been his driving force since alqualonde in my head...
Thank you for commenting :D
Heartwrenching and lovely. Especially touching is the part where the letter mentions a possible child of Celebrimbor--one that never came to be.
In my verse it did! I reject your reality and substitute my own ;)
I think there is a richness in imagining Curufin as having other sides than the seemingly awful, scheming person he comes across in canon, especially the idea that a figure as sympathetic as Celebrimbor must have experienced something of love and nobility in the family whose star and creative tradition he kept.
I'm very firmly not in the Curufin-was-horrible-to-the-bone camp of fandom even though it does seem quite pervasive... I firmly believe that - as you say - Celebrimbor's later actions and subtextual readings of his character tells us a lot about the internal family dynamics of the Fëanorians, particularly in regards to Curufin (even Tolkien admitted that he was tarred with a rather too dark brush in the Beren/Luthien tale, after all)...
And also he's my favourite son of Fëanor XD
I don't really want him to be an utter horror as a person - so this was written in that frame of mind. I'm semi-convinced that the final blow-up between them was entirely orchestrated by Curufin in an attempt to save Celebrimbor from the Doom of their house - anything to keep him from taking the Oath alongside them - whether or not Celebrimbor was aware and played along, or his father was just manipulative/scheming/knew him well enough that HE fell for the ruse along with the rest of Nargothrond... one day, I shall write that scene, probably. And the scene where Celebrimbor finds the letter...
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Comments on The last word
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