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: Scavenger Hunt In this Matryoshka-with-a-twist, you will solve clues that point you to the challenge prompts.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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…
Rescued from a brutal Angband hunt, an ex-thrall with a strange and powerful artifact embedded in his spine is brought to Himring, for it is one of the only places in Beleriand which welcomes such folk. Though he has no memories of his life before, Anniavas slowly becomes accustomed to his new…
Family Matters
Step inside of one of the families of "The Silmarillion" and tell their tale with a fanwork that illustrates the conflicts and relationships that occur within a family. Read more ...
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.
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.
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.
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…
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
Scribbles and Drabbles 2026
Scribbles & Drabbles is a fic and art exchange with a minimum word count of 100 words.
Russingon Week 2026
A Tumblr week event focusing on the relationship between Maedhros and Fingon.
Boromir Week 2026
If you are Boromir girlies/gents/stans/simps, then this event is for you! So, come join us, and bring your fanfiction, art, gifs, moodboards, and headcanons that highlight everything you love about our Captain of Gondor!
Silmarillion Epistolary Week 2026
Silmarillion Epistolary Week is a Tumblr challenge dedicated to creating fanworks to tell the story of the Silmarillion in the style of an epistolary novel.
The Silmarillion Writers' Guild is more than just an archive--we are a community! If you enjoy a fanwork or enjoy a creator's work, please consider letting them know in a comment.
This is heartbreaking and wonderful all at once. (I love stories about Mandos; they are [one of] my weaknesses in Silmdom. ;) And, imho, not enough authors take advantage of the idea of Elves being able to resist the call of Mandos. Here, you use it to wonderful effect to show the grief of death, not in the loss of life, but in the loss of connection to what is left behind. These lines were simple and yet brilliant:
“Without me,” he said flatly.
“Yes, without you.”
for showing this first realization and, also I thought the very human urge to be remembered and grieved by loved ones, for some impact on their lives to marked one's passing.
Thanks so much, Dawn. I like writing about Namo too. He's such a mysterious and interesting character. I actually got the idea for this story from Lissa, who wrote a nice piece about an Elf refusing the call. In this case the Elf answers, only to find he will live again but be alone until his family chooses or is able to join him. Like someone said, we hope our families will be able to go on without us but it's also distressing to think of them letting go. I'm glad you thought I captured this well.
An intelligent and disquieting story, IgB, filled with existential creepiness! Nicely done.
Your Námo is a mix of the benign and coldly detached, but I'd be hard pressed to call him compassionate. You've done a nice job in portraying the god of death (as I've noted elsewhere, hints of Hades and Anubis invaribly spring to mind when I think of Námo) as remote yet wise.
"White oblivion" is a fantastic bit of wordcraft here. I immediately visualize the afterlife-as-white-nothingness as portrayed in films.
You convey an excellent sense of the peaceful combined with the strange here, not only with the white space and the deceased elf with his unraveling threads back to his former life, but also with the concept of a "configured spirit" burning its memories away to the small timeless flame. The prospect of dreaming oneself into a blank slate is a frightening one, the promise of "pleasant dreams" notwithstanding.
This is a fascinating, and vey disturbing, look at Mandos. Death may not be permanent for Elves, but you do a nice job of showing it's far from painless - and some of their losses (such as the separation from any family remaining in Middle earth) may be permanent.
Comments on No Traveler Returns
The Silmarillion Writers' Guild is more than just an archive--we are a community! If you enjoy a fanwork or enjoy a creator's work, please consider letting them know in a comment.