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.
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!
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 Challenge: Epic 80s
This month's challenge features hundreds of fresh prompts from the bodacious decade of the 1980s.
Cultus Dispatches: Communities Do Comment
Comment data from the SWG underscores community as an essential component to a robust commenting culture.
Instadrabbling Sessions for July, August, and September
Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.
[Writing] Shepherd Princess by Himring
A princess and her sheepdog. (Drabble featuring a young Ancalime.)
[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] A Song Amidst His Torment by Elrond's Library
Of course it was a trap.
Maitimo has to survive. He must. But what price is too high to pay for survival?
[Writing] Nasyalossë by Lovimmy3365
Erestor lay up against a tree, brown washed to black in the wet of the snow. The black disc of the new moon sailed across the dark sky. Erestor wished it were gone. He had no need to look into dark eyes any longer.
He was dying.
(AKA Erestor unwittingly travels back in time to the…
[Playlist] Yacht Rock Silmarillion by Dawn Felagund
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the characters in The Silmarillion were smoooooth like they were sippin' a Sex on the Beach on a party barge in the harbor at Alqualondë? The "Yacht Rock Silmarillion" retells The Silmarillion as though the characters all had perms…
[Writing] and let's be winners by mistake by atlantablack
"Move farther north," Caranthir says to her a month after the attack, gaze steady on her even as his hands continue briskly gutting fish. "There is plenty of land closer to my fortress, and my people can help protect yours if there is another attack."
Haleth looks up from her…
[Writing] Changing Styles by StarSpray
“What did you do to your hair?”
Epic 80s
Create a fanwork using on of our righteous prompts based on popular culture from the 1980s. Read more ...
B2MeM 2010
Back to Middle-earth Month 2010 was a collaborative game-style challenge where participants created fanworks in order to progress in their attempt to win the Last Battle. Read more ...
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.
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.
[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.
Celedriel Week 2026
A Tumblr event week focusing on the relationship between Celeborn and Galadriel.
Esoteric Tolkien Week 2026
A fandom event dedicated to the strange, otherworldly, and inexplicable in Middle-earth and beyond.
Tolkien Gen Week 2026
Tolkien Gen Week will run from July 6-12, 2026 to appreciate all of the incredible characters and relationships within Tolkien’s legendarium that fall under the broad category of “gen.”
Tolkien Disability Pride 2026
This Tumblr event focuses on ALL creative works focusing on disability in Tolkien's universe.
Scribbles and Drabbles 2026
Scribbles & Drabbles is a fic and art exchange with a minimum word count of 100 words.
I absolutely love the conflict you have here between Umbar and Gondor. I like Avareth a lot actually. I can understand why she would have some misgivings with the Faithful after what happened to her betrothed. To think how many people lost loved ones to the the King's Men and all the other horribleness happening in Numenor. I love the political intrigue, the arguements, all that is very well done.
I got a huge kick out of the insults you used in this. I like how you looked into using something that made sense for Middle earth.
Thanks so much, Roisin, this was a lot of fun to write!
It's likely that the people who lived in ME would be reluctant to welcome the newcomers with their arms open wide, and I like very much the way in which Avareth expresses that.
Intriguing and very well written. :)
Thank you very much! I've got a bit more material written and in the process of being written on this time period - my thinking is that the Numenorean colonists in Pelargir and Umbar and other havens would have developed their own cultures and relationships with native peoples prior to the Downfall, and might have not been happy at the newcomers shaking things up. It's been fun to write, and I'm really glad other people are enjoying reading it!
Rather late I found this wonderful take on ther arrival of the Numenorians with all their imperial expectations and the clash with a population that had prospered on their own. Original point of view but very logical.
BTW, was the source of your creative insults Argentine? When I first read about the parrot, I couldn't help noticing the Argentine flavour - I don't know of any other Spanish speaker who swears by the female genitalia. You might consider adding "la concha de la vaca" (if there are cows in Umbar) and more original "del mono" (yes, male monkey!).
Thanks very much - when I wrote this I was wondering about the Numenoreans who'd settled in Middle Earth and whether or not they were really all that happy to see Elendil and sons. I thought it might be almost like if England suddenly went kablooey and someone from a cadet branch of the royal family showed up in Australia and said 'here we are, we're your new rulers!' Not everyone would necessarily be happy to see them.
Or if Spain blew up and what was left of their royal family tried to take over almost any country in Central or South America. ;)
The creative insults - the two attendings I worked with most closely as a surgical fellow were originally from Argentina and Venezuela. The Argentine gave me 'la concha de la verde lora' and the Venezuelan gave me a few others. ;)
Glad you enjoyed!
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