Earlier this week, we were thrilled to open our Beyond the Silmarillion section. This section is open to creators who already post with us and exists to provide a means to share non-Silmarillion fanworks based on Tolkien's books and their adaptations. If you want to learn more about the new section, our Beyond FAQ has all the details.

The debut of our Beyond section also marks the conclusion of an eight-month stretch of work expanding the site to more readily welcome a greater variety of fanworks on the SWG. In 2022, we have created the tools needed to post artwork, link collections, playlists, videos, and multimedia fanworks, and we've included all of those in our new Beyond the Silmarillion section.

All of this seems timely given that, by the time we send our next newsletter in a week, the Amazon Rings of Power series will have premiered. While our organization has officially chosen not to become involved with the new series, we absolutely welcome the fans who will come our way, curious about The Silmarillion because of the show, and we hope some of them will join our community and post their work with us, just like the Hobbit film fans who came before them.

On that note, this month's Cultus Dispatches column wraps up our four-part series on the impact of the films on the Tolkien fandom. This month's article, Fandom Voices: Filmverse Fans, compiles the responses of more than thirty fans who joined the Tolkien fandom entirely or partly due to the two Jackson film trilogies. As in all Fandom Voices columns, several big takeaways are presented, but we also provide the complete responses so that you can draw your own conclusions. Finally, if you missed the original call for responses, you are not too late: Fandom Voices forms always remain open. If you joined the fandom because of the films and want to respond, you can do so here.

Because we are a relatively specialized archive for this day and age, this week we look outward, to the bigger Tolkien fandom world of which we are part.

SWG News

Cultus Dispatches: Revelations from Marquette's Fanzine Dataset
In September 2026, Marquette University released a dataset about their Tolkien fanzine collection. Analysis of the data reveals what these fanzines contained and show how pre-internet Tolkien fandom responded to the publication of "The Silmarillion."

New Challenge: Unquote
Choose a prompt from our selection of misheard, miswritten, and misrepresented unquotes that are in no way part of the actual "Silmarillon."

Character of the Month: Eönwë
This month's biography focuses on Eönwë, who started with a variety of identities but settled into the role of Manwë's herald, exemplifying the values of strong leadership and justice.

Instadrabbling Sessions for October, November, and December
Instadrabbling continues on the first Saturday of each month on our Discord server.

New Fanworks

The last son of Feanor by ford_of_bruinen [Writing]

Maglor long after elves have left middle earth 

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Room in the Heart by Dagstjarna [Writing]

Newlywed Indis begins acquainting herself with married life, both its highs and lows. 

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The Parting Birds by Dagstjarna [Writing]

Dior tells Elwing a bedtime story.

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Burdens Carried, Burdens Shared by Elrond's Library [Writing]

Haleth will break Aredhel’s heart, but not before loving her.

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Updated Fanworks

Did Somebody Order a Silmaril? by annarobots [Writing]

Eärendil arrives in Valinor with a special delivery. But in this version, it’s not Eönwë who hails him…

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Darling Enemy by octopus_fool [Writing]

Eärendil thought he would have the sky to himself.

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The Day Transcending Night by StarSpray [Writing]

The Rings have been forged. The armies of Mordor are marching into Eriador. Eregion burns. 

Far away from it all, by the shores of the Sea, Celegorm remembers his name.

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From That Rubble by StarSpray [Writing]

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 have much else to do. I need to build something new there,” he said after a few moments. “To do that, I must first clear away the old and broken things.”

Decades out of Mandos, too many things in Fëanor's life remain broken. He can't do anything except wait for his sons to come to him, but he can do something about the old and crumbling house where they once lived. 

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Drabble-poems by Flora-lass [Writing]

All written for SWG instadrabbling sessions/prompts. Updated in October 2026 with Ambarussa, and Firiel.

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Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael [Writing]

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 thought on the matter who the Ainur are, who Eru is, how he matches our own religious pantheon, and this has been conducted after serious research of many esoteric teachings of our own planet's heritage.

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Beyond the Silmarillion Fanworks

IN THE SHIRE-RECKONING by Diane Finnis-Robb [Writing]

-This novel was completed for Hobbit Day 2026 and will be updated in serialized fashion here as I make final edits; so feedback is very much welcome.

-It is a multi-generational novel spanning a period of time from the formation of the Shire to the Great Plague in Year Thirty-six and focuses on the origins of an old feud between the Bucks and the Tooks.

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For a Better World by Ellynn [Writing]

Thirteen years before the War of the Ring, an orcling — more intelligent and more curious than most — is born in Mordor. His curiosity will lead him to both incredible discoveries and perilous situations, all of which will shape him into a leader unlike any Mordor has ever known. But to become that leader, he must defeat all his rivals, especially the most abhorrent of them all — his enemy since earliest childhood.

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Around the World and Web

14th International Tolkien Mailing Competition
The Hungarian Tolkien Society invites you to join the international “Quendi” category of the Tolkien Mailing Competition: five rounds of quizzes, riddles and creative tasks. This category is organised in English, open to any individual participant, and also to teams of 2–5 people. The five rounds of the competition will last from November to April.

Glorfindel Week 2026
A Tumblr fandom week dedicated to the elf Glorfindel.

Tolkien Food Week 2026
fandom event from the 2-8th nov 2026 where we share recipes, fics and comfort food for body and soul.

Silmarillion Secret Stockings 2026
A fandom event to celebrate the end of year holidays with prompt-based gifts.

Tolkien Horror Week 2026
Tolkien Horror Week is back for another year of celebrating all the terrifying and unsettling bits of Tolkien's work!

Erestober 2026
An event running throughout October, to show appreciation for Erestor!