Mereth Aderthad is coming on July 19, 2025! In celebration of our twentieth birthday, we are gathering in-person in Burlington, Vermont, USA, and online to share presentations of meta and fanworks based on the works of Tolkien.
This week, we opened our interest form for creators who would like to share a fanwork as part of Mereth Aderthad. There will be two options for fanworks, which will accompany the research and meta presentations that are also part of the event. Fanworks of all types are welcome! Mereth Aderthad is a live event, so we will have time set aside for sharing fanworks as part of the event. If you'd rather not present your fanwork live, we will also produce a fanzine as part of the event.
As we build the schedule for Mereth Aderthad, we cannot overemphasize that our priority is that people who want to share their work as part of Mereth Aderthad be able to share their work as part of Mereth Aderthad. We know that speaking at an event is not for everyone. Pre-recorded presentations are welcome. Having someone else read your fanwork is welcome. If you want to participate but need accommodations, you can reach out to the SWG mods at any time, and we will do our best to make that happen.
Right now, we are asking creators who might be interested in sharing a fanwork as part of Mereth Aderthad to complete our interest form. If you fill out the form, we will contact you twice. On February 7, we will send out the presentations for Mereth Aderthad that we need fanworks for. On February 15, we will email you the sign-up form. Filling out the interest form does not obligate you to sign up for Mereth Aderthad.
If you want to know more about what we're looking for, the full call for fanworks is available on our website. If you have questions, hit REPLY on this email or contact the mods through the website or any of our social media.
This weekend, we will be instadrabbling on our Discord server! Instadrabbling is a Tolkien fanworks tradition that has been going on for more than twenty years. Creators gather on a chat together, someone tosses a prompt out out to the group, and everyone creates a small fanwork in response and shares it in the chat. While traditionally, fanworks are drabbles, we put less stock in tradition than we do in welcoming as many creators as we can, so all Tolkien-based fanworks are welcome, regardless of length or format. This round, any prompts are welcome, though the mods promise prompts aimed at earning stamps for the Jubilee challenge. Likewise, if you want to come hang out and enjoy the fanworks being created, you are also welcome! You can join our Discord server here.
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.
Fun and Games
We periodically feature Tolkien-themed puzzles made by our members. The New York Times' game Connections requires players to group a set of words into four groups of four. This week's puzzle is Something Tolkien-y, created by Elleth! Find full directions on how to play here. If you'd like to make a puzzle, reply to this newsletter or contact us. Past games can be found in the Tolkien Connections collection.
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 ...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 ...Updated Fanworks
Darling Enemy by octopus_fool [Writing]
Eärendil thought he would have the sky to himself.
Read more ...Bury Me to Release Your Splendor by annarobots [Writing]
“Do you know what grows on the shores of the southern isles? A trading-merchant might bring many strange specimens to our lands, like nothing I have ever seen. In recent days, I have tasted a ripe fruit with firm flesh that parted beneath my tongue in a burst of liquid sweetness. So moist, so yielding, its juices dripped down my chin like fragrant honey. Have you ever known such succulence?”
Fingon’s wife has arranged a special surprise for the Lord of Himring.
Or: everyone’s cool with a little ethical nonmonogamy until someone throws a temporary sex change into the arrangement. Lord Maedhros loves Fingon with all his heart, that is known. But how will he react to Fingwen?
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!
