Welcome to the Silmarillion Writers' Guild

Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Kai by Shadow. Kai is the featured artist for Maglor's Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, "Gil-galad was an Elven King: Kingship and Personhood in the last High King of the Noldor." Shadow spoke with Kai about his wide range of interests and inspirations in the legendarium and why Maglor's presentation so intrigued him that he finished the art for it the first night.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Dawn Felagund by Shadow. In our series of interviews of creators for Mereth Aderthad, Shadow spoke with Dawn about her story, written for Savannah Horrell's "By Guile Committed: Comparing Tolkien’s Thieves to Beowulf" presentation, the balance of planning an event and creating for it at the same time, and the intersection of Tolkien and Beowulf.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Cindy Gates by Grundy. Cindy Gates' upcoming Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation "Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation" considers the ethics of science in the legendarium. Grundy spoke with Cindy about her research, her own experience as a professional scientist, and her long-running fascination with the Manhattan Project.
So You Want to Present at a Tolkien Conference? Actually Presenting!. Part of our ongoing series to support fans who want to present at Mereth Aderthad and other Tolkien conferences, this session will share strategies for delivering a presentation at a conference.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Azh, Admirable Monster by Shadow. As a physicist themself, Azh confronts the issues around the ethical use of science in both the professional and creative realms. Shadow spoke with Azh about their story "Lightborn," written to accompany Cindy Gates' Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation “Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation,” its real-life inspirations, and the importance of fallibility in Tolkien's world.
New Challenge: Period Drama. A Matryoskha challenge with prompts inspired by common tropes in period dramas and historical fiction.
Mereth Aderthad 2025: Program Posted. Check out our schedule of presentations and fanworks, as well as featured artists for Mereth Aderthad 2025! Registration for in-person and virtual attendance is now open.
Instadrabbling Sessions for April, May, and June. The first Saturday of each month, we will be hosting instadrabbling on our Discord server.
Character of the Month: Vidumavi of the Northmen. A seemingly minor character, Vidumavi's story illustrates the themes of fellowship, the fading of faerie, and the dangers of racial hierarchy.
Tolkien Fanartics: Mapping Arda - The Second Age. In the third part of the Mapping Arda series, Anérea and Varda delle Stelle present a selection of fan-created maps of the lands of the Second Age.

Latest News

Registration for Mereth Aderthad 2025 is open! Register here!

Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Kai by Shadow
Kai is the featured artist for Maglor's Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, "Gil-galad was an Elven King: Kingship and Personhood in the last High King of the Noldor." Shadow spoke with Kai about his wide range of interests and inspirations in the legendarium and why Maglor's presentation so intrigued him that he finished the art for it the first night.

Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Dawn Felagund by Shadow
In our series of interviews of creators for Mereth Aderthad, Shadow spoke with Dawn about her story, written for Savannah Horrell's "By Guile Committed: Comparing Tolkien’s Thieves to Beowulf" presentation, the balance of planning an event and creating for it at the same time, and the intersection of Tolkien and Beowulf.

Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Cindy Gates by Grundy
Cindy Gates' upcoming Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation "Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation" considers the ethics of science in the legendarium. Grundy spoke with Cindy about her research, her own experience as a professional scientist, and her long-running fascination with the Manhattan Project.

Newest Fanworks

One in the Deep Waters by Isilme_among_the_stars

Maglor finds himself alone with only sorrow and song for companions. But lamentation can neither undo the sorrows of which it tells, nor turn new hardships aside.

They Can Nearly Talk by Chestnut_pod

All things bright and beautiful,

All creatures great and small,

All things wise and wonderful,

Eru Ilúvatar made them all.

High in the Clean Blue Air by StarSpray

They passed out of Lhûn and the wider coastline of Middle-earth opened up before his eyes. He had wandered those shores for centuries, and even now he felt the pull of that same wanderlust, and knew he would miss them for the rest of his life. Their wildness, the untamed waves, the rocky shores and the cliffs and the sandy beaches.

Instadrabbling by SWG Moderators

We get together from time to time on the SWG Discord and produce spontaneous fanworks based on randomly chosen prompts. This collection includes drabbles, ficlets, and other flash fanworks produced as part of our instadrabbling sessions.

The only student of Maglor on record on this side of the Sea by Himring

Drabbles from the life of Emlinn, Maglor's Sindarin student from Brithombar, who is the narrator of my story "The West Wind Quartet".


Insta-drabbles written on the SWG Discord back in December 2020 (which apparently I did not cross-post here?), with another one written in June 2025. 

New in References

Interview with Grundy by Shadow by Grundy, daughterofshadows

Long fascinated with the Manhattan Project, Grundy was naturally drawn to Cindy Gates' Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation “Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation" and is making a work of glass art to accompany it. Shadow spoke to Grundy about her inspiration on the project and long love of Tolkien.

Interview with reese by Dawn by halethleia, Dawn Felagund

Reese is the featured author for polutropos's presentation "'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium" at Mereth Aderthad 2025. Dawn spoke with reese about the silences storytellers leave, mythology, and the appeal of alternate universe fanfiction.

Interview with Kai by Shadow by Kai, daughterofshadows

Kai is the featured artist for Maglor's Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, "Gil-galad was an Elven King: Kingship and Personhood in the last High King of the Noldor." Shadow spoke with Kai about his wide range of interests and inspirations in the legendarium and why Maglor's presentation so intrigued him that he finished the art for it the first night.

Newest Artwork

A Bedu Hobbit tent-hole by Anérea

A Hobbit home in the desert of Harad

Rating: General
Warnings: No warnings listed

Eärendil in the Bay of Eldamar by Varda delle Stelle

Eärendil on Vingilótë arrives in the Bay of Eldamar; in the bottom right corner it says: "Vingilótë" and "Aiya Eärendil Elenion Ancalima!" 

Rating: General
Warnings: No warnings listed

Varda delle Stelle by Varda delle Stelle

Portrait of Varda Elentari

Rating: General
Warnings: No warnings listed

Around the World and Web

Scribbles and Drabbles 2025
Scribbles & Drabbles is an annual Tolkien event where artists create artwork and writers then write stories (a drabble or longer) inspired by the art.

Camp Tolkien 2025
A Tumblr event with daily prompts aimed at different stages of the writing process.

Boromir Week 2025
Boromir Week is a Tumblr event for fanworks about Boromir.