Jump to the Interactive Program | Mereth Aderthad Fanzine | Day-of-Event Information
If you'd like to join us but didn't register, register now and the event link will be sent to you.
If you are having any difficulties with accessing the event, contact us at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org or use the #mereth-aderthad channel on our Discord. All times are Eastern times.
Interactive Program
Welcome! (9:00-9:15)
A light continental breakfast will be available, featuring all locally sourced foods: donuts, yogurt, granola, fresh bread with butter and jam, maple cream, fresh berries, and apple cider.
A Defence of Elu Thingol (9:15-9:45)
The moral complexity of its characters is part of the appeal of The Silmarillion for many fans. Elu Thingol, however, is one character whose complexity is often overlooked in favor of depicting him as a villain. Works in this session challenge flat depictions of Thingol by considering his complexity and engaging with some of his more challenging decisions.
Presentation: Cherished antagonist, despised protagonist - a defence of Elu Thingol by Stella Getreuer-Kostrouch (video)
Fanworks:
Neither Speak Nor Answer by Idrils Scribe (event, read by Flora-lass | zine)
A nameless, kinless messenger brings terrible news about the newly arrived Noldor that is slowly poisoning the Doriathrim against their kin. Thingol must drag the truth into light before Morgoth's machinations further sunder the Eldar from each other.
Of Thingol and the Silmaril: A Sonnet by Flora-lass (event | zine)
The Silmaril addresses Elu Thingol.
The Light among the Stars by elennalore (zine)
On his way to meet his friend, Elwë strays from the path, and his life will never be the same again.
Featured art Grey by fish (event | zine)
Interviews:
Interview with Stella Getreuer-Kostrouch by Quente
Interview with Idrils Scribe by Shadow
Interview with Flora-lass by Anérea
Interview with fish by Shadow
The Aromantic in Tolkien (9:45-10:15)
While Tolkien's world contains examples of great romantic love, romantic love is not the only form of love that is valued in the legendarium. Furthermore, many of Tolkien's characters can be read as aromantic, and these characters are diverse in how they live their identity. Works in this session explore the many facets of aromanticism and the experiences of aromantic characters in Tolkien.
Presentation: The Aromantic in Tolkien by Shadow (video | transcript)
Fanworks:
Unexpected Commonalities by chrissystriped (event | zine | audio)
Bilbo and Boromir meet in the gardens of Rivendell and discover they have more in common than expected.
A Different Green by Quente (zine)
As Frodo sails West, he recalls lessons taught to him by Bilbo that gave him strength through his ordeals.
Featured art A Spectrum by Silmalope (event | zine)
Interviews:
Interview with Shadow by Himring
Interview with chrissystriped by Dawn
Interview with Quente by Shadow
Interview with Silmalope by Dawn
Dragons and Dwarves (10:15-10:45)
Dragons are at once one of the more familiar creatures of Middle-earth and simultaneously one of the most mysterious. While we know more about Dwarves, their natures are relatively unexplored compared to the Ainur, Elves, and Men. Works in this session explore the many connections between dragons and Dwarves and possible theories about their relationship in the legendarium.
Presentation: "The Design of Dragons and Doom of the Dwarves" by cloudyhymns
Fanworks:
The Old Road Under Stars by bunn (event | zine | audio)
The stars turn, the world changes, and anger and pride proves a road with a fearful ending.
Featured art The Earth, the Dragons and the Dwarves by Varda delle Stelle (event | zine)
Interviews:
Interview with cloudyhymns by Shadow
Interview with bunn by Shadow
Interview with Varda delle Stelle by Shadow
Kingship and Personhood of Gil-galad (10:45-11:15)
Who was Gil-galad? Yes, that is a basic trivia-night softball question but really: Who was Gil-galad? Beyond the Elven-king about whom harpers sadly sing, the texts give us little about the longest-enduring Noldorin king in Middle-earth, and despite his royal role, Gil-galad often seems relegated to serve as a supporting character. Works in this session consider what we know about Gil-galad and who he might have been beyond the crown.
Presentation: Gil-galad was an Elven King: Kingship and Personhood in the last High King of the Noldor by Maglor (video)
Fanworks:
Arisen by Shadow (event | zine)
Ereinion becomes Gil-galad, the king, but never disappears. Three episodes from the life of a king.
Featured art Banner of Stars by Kai Janik (event | zine)
Interviews:
Interview with Maglor by Shadow
Interview with Shadow by Himring
Interview with Kai Janik by Shadow
Beleriand as Postcolonial Palimpsest (11:15-11:45)
Beleriand is the sight of horrific violence producing grief, resistance, and manifold readings of its history. These contested histories themselves become an act of resistance against a single, tidy, morally certain understanding of the violences of the First Age. Works in this session consider how First Age characters react and resist the horrors they face in war-ravaged Beleriand.
Presentation: "Exile, Ruin and Resistance: Beleriand as Postcolonial Palimpsest" by Dr. Zara AK
Fanworks:
All the Space that Remains by cloudyhymns (event)
What then, auntie, separates us from the ones who left them here, save for the reasons behind our cruelty?
Maedhros | Elwing by Dawn Felagund (zine)
The third kinslaying and its aftermath, from the perspective of Maedhros and Elwing: a shape poem.
Featured art Leap by Navy (event)
Interviews:
Interview with Zara AK by Saelind
Interview with cloudyhymns by Shadow
Interview with Dawn Felagund by Shadow
Thieves in Tolkien and Beowulf (11:45-12:15)
Tolkien was deeply inspired by Anglo-Saxon literature and Beowulf in particular, and Anglo-Saxon literature holds thieves as lowly, secretive, and deceitful. Yet in Tolkien's works, thievery is committed by numerous characters for noble ends, including Bilbo's theft of the dragon-gold that directly parallels the theft scene in Beowulf. Works in this session explore the complexity of theft in the Anglo-Saxon world and the legendarium
Presentation: By Guile Committed: Comparing Tolkien’s Thieves to Beowulf by Savannah Horrell (video | handout)
Fanworks:
Thieves' Triptych by Dawn Felagund (event | zine)
A Númenórean loremaster writes new meaning into the story of Lúthien Tinúviel, and this tale of theft carries forth across the centuries, inspiring a burglar, who as the story shifts again, stops the Geatish people from reaching for what is not theirs to have.
Featured art If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world by bunn (event | zine)
Interviews:
Interview with Savannah Horrell by Anérea
Interview with Dawn Felagund by Shadow
Interview with bunn by Shadow
Lunch (12:15-1:00)
See the Day Of Event section for nearby restaurants, including links to order online.
An afternoon snack will be provided, featuring all locally sourced foods: fresh-baked bread, butter, jams, maple cream, and cheeses.
Religious Alienation and Connection in Tolkien and Lewis (1:00-1:30)
Tolkien was devoutly Catholic, and scholars have spent decades pinpointing Christian themes in his work. Yet Tolkien's fans come from diverse religious backgrounds and still find spiritual connections with the legendarium. Works in this session explore how Tolkien's work welcomes religiously diverse readers.
Presentation: Mythmakers vs. the made myths: Exploring a reader’s levels of religious alienation and connection in works about and by J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis by Acha Rezak (Quente) (video | presentation and speaker notes)
Fanworks:
Great Stories by Janeways (event)
Frodo reflects on greatness, and stories, after Galadriel shares a memory.
"Repair the World (Dwarvish Hymn)" by Zdenka (lyrics by Zdenka; melody by Israel Goldfarb and Samuel Eliezer Goldfarb, arranged by Zdenka) (event)
apostate variations by clovis_unleased (zine)
Nine theses on Fate, divinity and Elvish theology, told through the philosophy and study of music.
Featured art Creative fantasy may open your hoard and let all the locked things fly away like cage-birds by bunn (event | zine)
Interviews:
Interview with Acha Rezak by Shadow
Interview with Zdenka by Himring
Interview with bunn by Shadow
Love, Grief, and Alliterative Version in Tolkien (1:30-2:00)
Love and grief are motifs that run throughout the legendarium and are often inextricably entwined. Love often ends in grief, yet also from grief arises love. Works in this session consider the entangled themes of love and grief with fanworks exploring these ideas through alliterative poetry.
Presentation: Love, Grief, and Alliterative Verse in Tolkien’s Legendarium by Paul D. Deane (video | transcript)
Fanworks:
The Death of Bëor the Old by Zdenka (event)
Finrod is confused and distraught to learn that Bëor will die of old age.
Witnesses by cloudyhymns (zine)
The hounds of the legendarium loyally serve the song of their masters: an alliterative poem.
The Deaths of Túrin Turambar, Niënor Níniel, and Brandir the Lame by Zorbo_Jorks (zine)
Brandir of Brethil also loved Niënor, and his death stands among the tragedies of the Children of Húrin: an alliterative poem.
Featured art Fragments of Feelings by Anérea (event | zine)
Interviews:
Interview with Paul D. Deane by Himring
Interview with Zdenka by Himring
Interview with Anérea by Shadow
Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation (2:00-2:30)
In the realms of science and technology, "can be done" and "should be done" often stand on equal ground. Yet Tolkien asserted that abnegation—the refusal to commit a moral wrong—represents greatness in ethics and reason. Throughout the legendarium, we see characters accomplish and abnegate technological achievements that carry moral questions, and works in this session consider the dilemmas posed by such choices.
Presentation: "Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation" by Cynthia (Cindy) Gates a.k.a. pandemonium_213
Fanworks:
Lightborn by Azh, Admirable Monster (event | zine)
A young Númenorean scientist presents his research before the King's Men and the High Priest, while struggling with strange visions of a long-ago debate between two people over the ethics of technological discovery.
Lessons in Abnegation by elfscribe (zine)
Guided by their tutor, Prince Eldarion and his friend learn that the choice to seize or reject the Ring's power is not an easy one.
Featured glasswork by Grundy (event)
Interviews:
Interview with Cynthia Gates, aka pandemonium_213 by Grundy
Interview with Azh, Admirable Monster by Shadow
Interview with Grundy by Shadow
Interview with Anérea by Shadow
Twilight, Child Of (2:30-3:00)
Lúthien, Maeglin, and Arwen all share similarities represented in the etymology of their names, which mean "child of twilight." While in some instances, explicit parallels exist between the various twilight children, in other cases they are harder to detect. Such parallels invite us to consider how similar characters can be cast into different roles in the text, and works in this session explore that idea.
Presentation: Twilight, Child Of: Comparisons Between Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel by Jaz (video)
Fanworks:
In me thou seest the Twilight by Maglor (event)
Arwen contemplates three people who share her name.
Featured art Twilight, Child Of and Child of Twlight by sesame (event | zine)
Interviews:
Interview with Jaz by Maglor
Interview with Maglor by Shadow
Interview with sesame by Dawn
The Science of Telperion and Laurelin (3:00-3:30)
Light in the legendarium has deep mythic roots, but Tolkien also cared about staying true to scientific discoveries, with radioactivity, bioluminescence, and astrophysics all contributing possible ways to understand the Two Trees from a scientific perspective. Works in this session consider the Two Trees as myths and as science and how the two can fruitfully overlap.
Presentation: "How To Make a Star From a Tree: The Science of Telperion and Laurelin" by Jenn Medved a.k.a. Zhie
Fanworks:
Light of the World by Shadow (event | zine)
Across the ages of the world, darkness was always overcome by Light.
Featured art Treelight by Anérea (event | zine)
Interviews:
Interview with Zhie by Shadow
Interview with Shadow by Himring
Interview with Anérea by Shadow
"Kidnap Fam" and the Living Legendarium (3:30-4:00)
The "kidnap fam" plot in The Silmarillion—where Maglor and Maedhros kidnap/raise Elrond and Elros, depending on your perspective—is one of the most discussed and written about in the Silmarillion fandom. What if the tension fans pick up on here was the product of an editorial decision? Reading the legendarium as living allows for the coexistence of many versions of the texts, and works in this session contribute to our ongoing and evolving understanding of this thorny relationship dynamic.
Presentation: "Kidnap Fam" and the Living Legendarium by polutropos (video | slideshow)
Fanworks:
“Collected Materials Regarding the Sons of Elwing and the House of Fëanor.” by reese (event | audio)
Searching for documents related to her father's life, Aragorn's daughter instead finds a jumble of conflicting documents about the nature of Maglor and Maedhros's fosterage of Elrond and Elros.
Visions by Elleth (zine)
With the cry of a stolen child, Maglor sees the future in all of its possibilities and makes a choice regarding Elrond and Elros.
Heart and Stomach by Janeways (zine)
As a very young child, Gil-galad arrived on Círdan's doorstep with no memories and nothing but a brief letter containing two things: a request to foster him, and a name, Ereinion. Silver-haired scion of kings, he always suspected his lineage was more vexed than anyone, Noldor or Sindar alike, was comfortable admitting, especially in those fragile last days before the War of Wrath. Parents as well as kings must make difficult decisions. After the Third Kinslaying, Gil-galad learns this the hard way.
Found Family Lost by Independence1776 (zine)
Maglor, Elrond, and families.
Featured art Sirion by Tang Wen Xi (event)
Interviews:
Interview with polutropos by Dawn
Interview with reese by Dawn
Interview with Tang Wen Xi by Dawn
Mereth Aderthad Fanzine
The Mereth Aderthad fanzine is a sixty-page book with more than two dozen poems, stories, and works of art by more than twenty different creators. As with the fanworks presented live at the event, zine fanworks were created to respond to a presentation at Mereth Aderthad and were often produced with close collaboration between the presenter and the writer or artist.
Due to generous donations, we are thrilled to be able to offer the zine for free to all contributors, volunteers, and in-person attendees. Virtual attendees will be able to receive a copy for the cost of shipping.
Any printed copies remaining after the event will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for the cost of printing and shipping.
You can download a copy of the Mereth Aderthad 2025 fanzine here!
Day-of-Event Information
The Community Room is located on the second floor of the library. Elevators are located to the left of the lobby entrance, next to the circulation desk. The room is clearly signed on the wall over the entrance, visible from the top of the stairs on the second floor.
- Grocery Stores: There is a Hannaford and a Target on Dorset Street, across from Market Street, and a Trader Joe's a short distance down Dorset Street.
- Lunch Options: The following restaurants are within 1,000 feet of the library on Market Street. Note that there are many other options on Dorset Street and Williston Road for those who wish to range further.
- Bliss Bee (American and coffee shop | order online)
- Bueno y Sano (Mexican | order online)
- Dave's Cosmic Subs (sandwiches | order online)
- Ecobean (organic cafe, gluten- and soy-free | order online)
- Hana (Japanese | order online)
- Zaytoona (Middle Eastern, halal | order online)
Accessibility
- The virtual event will be held on Zoom with closed captioning enabled. Please note that closed captioning only works when you run Zoom off the app (mobile or desktop); it does not work when Zoom runs in the browser. If you are attending the live event and would like closed captioning on your device as well, register for both in-person and virtual tickets.
- Elevators are located to the left of the lobby entrance, next to the circulation desk.
- The South Burlington Public Library has a hearing loop available for T-coil hearing aids. If you would like to know more about using this feature at Mereth Aderthad, contact the moderators, and we will work with the library to get you the information that you need.
- COVID-19 Policy. Mereth Aderthad will follow all health and safety precautions recommended by the State of Vermont and the South Burlington Public Library. As of this writing, there are no COVID-19 restrictions in place. Masks and social distancing stickers will be provided at the event, and attendees are asked to please wear a mask if they are showing symptoms of or recovering from an illness. For those preferring to eat outdoors, there are benches along Market Street and Datillio Drive and a park about a block down Datillio Drive.
- If you need an accommodation that is not detailed here, please reach out to the organizers and let us know!
Weekend Events
Dinner at the Farmhouse Tap & Grill, Williston, July 19, 6:00 PM
The Farmhouse Tap & Grill is a farm-to-table restaurant featuring locally sourced Vermont ingredients and drinks! RSVPs for this event have closed. Contact the moderators if you have questions or issues with your RSVP.
Breakfast at the Pour House, South Burlington, July 20, 9:00 AM
RSVPs for this event have closed. Contact the moderators if you have questions or issues with your RSVP.
Mereth Aderthad Create-In, Barnes & Noble, South Burlington, July 20, 10:30 AM
In-person and virtual attendees are invited to join us at Barnes & Noble to write, draw, create, and hang out! We will use the #write-in channel on the SWG Discord. Find this event in your timezone.
Commitment to Inclusivity
We highly value the diverse membership base that has made the SWG the group it is today. We want the SWG to be a place that not only welcomes but celebrates diversity and the various perspectives different fans bring both to reading Tolkien and the creation of Tolkien-based fanworks.
That said, we also recognize that Tolkien fandom has been both explicitly and structurally hostile and dismissive of fans from marginalized groups, especially fans who are Black, indigenous, and people of color; LGBTQIA+ fans; and fans with disabilities. As the SWG is part of the fandom and has benefited as an organization from the status quo, we therefore strongly feel that the SWG must be part of the solution, including governing events such that all participants not only feel safe but encouraged to participate.
- Use people's stated names and pronouns.
- Avoid discriminatory and biased language.
- Avoid making assumptions about other participants' identities.
- Create space for everyone to speak and be heard. We especially ask fans who come from typically privileged groups to be aware of not monopolizing conversations.
Being more inclusive is a learning process for all of us. Any space where we discuss ideas around popular culture, literature, and art has the potential to become uncomfortable for some participants. We ask that participants manage their comfort at the event by opting out of presentations and discussions that they find upsetting. At the same time, all participants are expected to:
- Give people space and pause communications if they ask for it. Do not follow, attempt to open conversations, or otherwise seek to engage with people who indicate that they do not want to engage. Unwanted, hostile, or threatening actions towards others is harassment and will not be tolerated.
- Respond to feedback from organizers around language or behaviors that are not acceptable for the event by refraining from that language or behavior going forward.
The organizers reserve the right to remove participants from the event who we believe are acting with intention to create a hostile environment for other participants or who do not demonstrate that they are willing to learn and change their behavior based on feedback from organizers.
Commitment to Sustainability and Social Responsibility
The SWG is a small organization, and a core philosophy of our organization is the value of community-powered spaces, especially in the shadow of ever-growing large social and fandom platforms. With this comes a commitment to a sustainable and just world, where people have the capacity and empowerment to participate in critical and creative endeavors. In order that the SWG and Mereth Aderthad work to bolster the existence of small communities, environmental and economic sustainability, and social responsibility, we commit to the following:
- We will use locally sourced products and services whenever possible.
- When choosing products and services related to Mereth Aderthad, we will give priority to purchases that support businesses and individuals committed to environmental sustainability.
- Likewise, we will seek products and services from businesses and individuals that reflect social responsibility such as fair trade and fair labor practices.
- Recognizing that making sustainable or responsible choices is not necessarily straightforward, we will be intentional in our choices around these objectives and invite input from all members of the relevant committee before making a decision.
Donation Policy
An event like this costs money to run, and some people have expressed that they would like to help offset the costs. When you register, you will have the option to register and donate to help cover costs of the event. This is optional, and we cannot stress enough that we would rather a person be able to attend than to have an extra few bucks toward the cost of the event!
Donations will be used as follows, in order of priority:
- First, any volunteers who made purchases toward Mereth Aderthad will be reimbursed.
- Next, donations will be used to provide benefits or offset costs for attendees, such as purchasing snacks or covering costs of the zine for contributors. The event's logistics committee will make decisions on how money will be spent to improve the event for attendees. Donations from virtual attendees will not be used to pay for any perks available only to in-person attendees.
- Finally, donations will be used to reimburse Dawn for costs associated with the event.
Any remaining funds will be donated to the Abenaki Nation of the Missisquoi, the people upon whose stolen homeland our event will be held.
You can also donate to the event if you are unable to attend.
The Mereth Aderthad financial report is available here and shows the event's expenses and how donations were used.
Mereth Aderthad Staff
The following volunteers are making Mereth Aderthad 2025 happen!
Event Organizer: Dawn "Felagund" Walls-Thumma
Tech Lead: Grundy
Social Media Manager: Shadow
Zine and Program Design and Artwork: Anérea
Event Graphics Design: Janeways
Logistics Committee: Anérea, Elleth, Grundy, Gryph, Independence1776, Janeways, Maglor, Quente, Shadow, Zhie
Promotions Committee: Aprilertuile, Grundy, Himring, Janeways, Saelind, Shadow, Zhie
Event Discord Moderation: Shadow and Maglor
Event Photographer: Independence1776
"So You Want to Present at a Tolkien Conference?" Consultants: AdmirableMonster, Himring, Janeways, Zara AK, and Zhie
