Cultus Dispatches: Six Demographic Takeaways from the 2025 Tolkien Fanfiction Survey
Ten years of demographic data from the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey show consistencies in who reads and writes fanfiction, as well as a few key demographic shifts.
“That’s not a real story!” Calissë protested. “Cats can’t play fiddles!”
“Of course they can!” Maglor said. “All of the cats in Imladris could play all kinds of instruments. Why, every night in the silver light of the moon they would gather with their fiddles and harps and flutes—”
“Uncle Cáno!”
“And the Man-in-the-Moon would sometimes come down to listen and to sing his own songs, and then drink all of Elrond’s finest beer until we found him dozing under the rose bushes in the morning,” Maglor went on. “If you don’t believe me, go ask Elladan.”