Last weekend was Mereth Aderthad 2025, and it was a truly excellent experience! Eighty-eight of you were able to join us, both in-person and virtually for a day of incredible fanworks and presentations.

Enough happened that day that, even if you were there for all of it, you probably weren't able to take it all in. Our interactive program contains All The Links to every Mereth Aderthad presentation (when available) and fanwork on the archive. If you enjoyed a fanwork or presentation, please consider letting the creator know! If you haven't read my Mereth Aderthad Thank Yous, make sure you check them out! This event was a big undertaking, requiring the help of many volunteers!

Mereth Aderthad also included a fanzine of stories, poems, and art created in response to the twelve presentations shared at the event. You can download a digital copy for free here.

And we had a pair of interviews posted to the site the week of the event that didn't get their proper due in last week's newsletter. Himring interviewed Zdenka, who shared her poem The Death of Bëor the Old and sang the hauntingly beautiful song "Repair the World (Dwarvish Hymn)" at the event last week. You can read their conversation here. And I spoke with sesame, who did a pair of artworks for Jaz's vibrant presentation on the "children of twilight" in the legendarium. You can read my chat with sesame here.

To answer some questions I've been asked: Some presenters requested that their presentations be recorded. I will be working on getting those videos edited and sent out to presenters for final approval. Likewise, some presenters hope to archive their papers in our Reference Library. As videos and papers become available, I will update the interactive program and announce the new material here in the newsletter as well.

Contributor and volunteer zines will go out very soon. (My printer ran out of ink, so as soon as that's in and I can print address labels, they will go out!) Our "store" for ordering zines is ready to go, so if you attended virtually, you will have information soon about getting your copy of the zine. Virtual attendees only pay shipping; the zine itself is free. If you attended virtually and missed the link to request your copy, reply to this newsletter, and I'll get you headed in the right direction.

Once those zines go out, whatever is left will be available for "purchase" at the cost of shipping and printing.

Shifting away from Mereth Aderthad, we did a major software update this morning. If you notice a problem, report it to the moderators.

Our Swinging 40s challenge is also ongoing. As we are in the season of the year where several big Tolkien fanworks events are gearing up or in full swing, remember that you can combine our challenge prompts with other challenges or events. We intentionally plan our summer challenges so that they are easily combined with other events. If the other event requires you to post your work after fanworks for our challenge are due, just let the mods know and post with us when you can. Tell us when you archive your fanwork, and we're happy to award you the stamp.