You might notice that this newsletter looks different, and not in a good way. (You might also have noticed that last week's newsletter never arrived at all!) We've been back and forth this week with our webhost after an upgrade broke our email system. The only way, right now, that we can send the newsletter is via plain text. Hence it look rather ... plain.
That being said, they've fixed most of the problems ... we hope. However, when using the site to send messages or make requests, do be aware that the system is a bit shaky right now. If you're messaging or making a request of the mods (like a new character tag) using the site and we don't take care of it in twenty-four hours, feel free to follow up. Just reply to this email or use our address moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org. It is emails sent via the site that are impacted.
Now onto better things, namely gorgeous art and how it is made!
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Ringed by wordless faces, the portrait room in an art museum has a certain hush to it. There is the human face, many times over, a deceptively simple theme. Yet within those faces, lines hint at past pain. Eyes flash from a face defined by age or youth. The best portraits seem to capture just a moment in a story passing on either side of that brief second in time. It is possible to imagine what happened leading up to the portrait and what transpired after.
The impeccable, impressionistic paintings of Ylieke seem to belong in such a gallery. Although Ylieke describes her work as centered on storytelling, these are not complicated action scenes. Instead, it is the eyes, the hands, the faces of her characters that speak to what they are feeling and experiencing in that moment, leaving no doubt that there is a rich story happening on either side of it. In our latest Tolkien Fanartics column, firstamazon caught up with Ylieke to learn more about her technique, goals, and beliefs as a fan artist.
Interestingly, Ylieke describes her own work as, "not so good at drawing emotions," with which this viewer would strongly disagree. However, no matter what you creative form of choosing, Ylieke's careful look at her own work and approach to art might be useful advice:
"Sometimes illustrations just don’t come out as they were envisioned. The best course of action in this case is to finalize the work as well as you can and move on. The next work will be 0.001% better."
You can read firstamazon's interview with Ylieke here: https://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/node/6965
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SWG News: https://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/news
Around the World and Web, announcements from around the fandom: https://www.silmarillionwritersguild.org/atwaw
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
Read more ...Room in the Heart by Dagstjarna [Writing]
Newlywed Indis begins acquainting herself with married life, both its highs and lows.
Read more ...The Parting Birds by Dagstjarna [Writing]
Dior tells Elwing a bedtime story.
Read more ...Burdens Carried, Burdens Shared by Elrond's Library [Writing]
Haleth will break Aredhel’s heart, but not before loving her.
Read more ...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…
Read more ...Darling Enemy by octopus_fool [Writing]
Eärendil thought he would have the sky to himself.
Read more ...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.
Read more ...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.
Read more ...Drabble-poems by Flora-lass [Writing]
All written for SWG instadrabbling sessions/prompts. Updated in October 2026 with Ambarussa, and Firiel.
Read more ...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.
Read more ...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.
Read more ...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.
Read more ...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!
