Around the World and Web

International Fanworks Day 2023

Save the date: it’s almost International Fanworks Day!

Celebrated on February 15th, International Fanworks Day (IFD) was created by the OTW in 2014 in honor of the one millionth fanwork published on AO3. It’s a recognition of fanworks in all their forms—fics, art, vids, zines, and more—and of their awesomeness and importance for fans across the world.

This year, the OTW will be observing the ninth annual IFD. Our theme for the year is "When Fandoms Collide." You can participate however you want, but here are a few suggestions:

• Create rec lists of your favorite crossovers to share as part of our Feedback Fest, starting February 12
• Post your own crossover fics, fanart, and more on AO3 using our International Fanworks Day 2023 tag
• Share crossover headcanons on social media using the tag #IFD2023 or #IFDChallenge2023

Follow OTW News on social media to find out in a few weeks what we’re doing to celebrate IFD 2023. If you or your fandom communities will be hosting your own activities, let us know so we can signal boost them!

Hidden Paths 2023

Hidden Paths us a fortnight-long event dedicated to the celebration of smaller Tolkien canons.

We all know and love the tales of Tolkien's Middle-earth, but the Professor's creative and academic endeavours didn't stop there.  However, fanworks for smaller Tolkien canons (such as Farmer Giles of Ham, Mr. Bliss, Leaf by Niggle and more) are much rarer than works inspired by their Middle-earth counterparts.  This event was created to be a low-pressure, low-commitment opportunity to explore those lesser known works, and create and share fanworks based on them.

Define “smaller Tolkien fandoms”.

Basically, any Tolkien canon or text (including academic works and translations) that is not explicitly set in Middle-earth and is not based on The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, or The Silmarillion and closely related histories.  This includes, but is not limited to:

• Beowulf/Sellic Spell
• Farmer Giles of Ham
• The Fall of Arthur
• The Father Christmas Letters
• Finn and Hengest
• The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son
• The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun
• Leaf by Niggle
• The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún
• Mr. Bliss
• Mythopoeia
• The Notion Club Papers
• Pearl
• Roverandom
• Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
• Sir Orfeo
• Songs for the Philologists
• Smith of Wootton Major
• The Story of Kullervo
• Tolkien (2019 film)
• Tolkien's essays, poems, letters and non-ME artwork

We also accept fanworks based on The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (because it collects a number of poems that were not originally intended as part of the Middle-earth canon) and The Book of Lost Tales (because it differs so significantly from later versions of the legendarium), and/or centring characters or concepts that only appear in extremely early drafts of The Lord of the Rings (e.g. Trotter).  

We know that this leaves a bit of a grey area, but ultimately, we will trust and accept the judgement of fanwork creators.  Act in good faith, and assume that others have done the same.

How does it work?

At the start of the event (14th February) the mod will post seven optional prompts to inspire you.  There will be a thematic prompt, a character-based prompt, a setting-based prompt, a text prompt, a visual prompt, an audio prompt, and a wildcard prompt.  A second batch of prompts will be posted on the 21st.

If you like the prompts, then use any or all of them to create and share a fanwork based on one or more small Tolkien canons.  If they don't speak to you, then please feel free to do your own thing – the prompts are there to spark creativity, not impede it!

What types of fanworks do you accept?

Anything you like.  Fic, poetry, meta, art, edits, vids, podfic, craft, cosplay, rec lists, playlists, compositions, interviews with fellow fans...it's all good.

Are there any minimum requirements?

No, none.  Want to write a six-word story?  Be our guest.

Are crossovers permitted?

Yes!  We accept crossovers with the Middle-earth canons, and with non-Tolkien fandoms.  We only ask that one of the smaller Tolkien canons plays a significant role in your fanwork.

What do you consider a significant role?

We don't.  The event is intended to be low commitment and low stress for both participants and the moderator, and we trust that people will act in good faith.  We are not going to police fanworks or apply an arbitrary definition of “significant” - we leave that up to the creator to decide.

Does actor RPF count?

For the purposes of this event, no it doesn't, unless you are also drawing on elements from a smaller canon (e.g. Liv Tyler encountering the Shadow-Bride).

Where do I post my fanworks?

We have an AO3 collection, but you may post your fanworks anywhere you like.  We'd appreciate a link back to our Dreamwidth or Tumblr page, though, to spread the word about the event!

Are there any restrictions on rating or content?

Nope.  Tag and warn appropriately, as you normally would, but make whatever your heart desires.

Can I post fanworks that were inspired by or created for another event, or created prior to the event's inception?

Yes!  The goal is to celebrate and increase content for the smaller Tolkien fandoms.  Please feel free to share your creations and add them to the collection, regardless of whether they were created specifically for this event.

I want to take part but I don't know anything about the smaller canons.  Help!?

• Tolkien Gateway has helpfully collated a list of Tolkien's writings, and some of the articles reproduce or link to the actual text.  This is a great place to start browsing, and to find out more about a text before you invest in your own copy.
• Have a look at fanworks for some of the smaller canons and see what appeals.  Innumerable Stars and TRSB both have several works for the smaller canons in their collections, and many of them can be understood with no prior knowledge of the source material.
• Lists of characters appearing in the various texts and canons can also be a useful jumping off point - like this one for The Book of Lost Tales.
• Many of the smaller canons are just that - small!  If you can get hold of a copy from your local library, book store or from a fellow fan, they are generally quick to read and digest.

If anyone has any other ideas and resources for folks wanting to dip a toe into the smaller canons, please get in touch so they can be added to this list.

When does the event run?

Officially, February 14th-28th.  Unofficially, as long as you like; the prompts will stay up and the AO3 collection won't close.

Smut 4 Smut 2023: Nominations and Sign-Ups

Welcome to Smut 4 Smut, a multifandom gift exchange for smutty fic and art! Our schedule for 2023:

Feb 3-10, 8pm: nominations (nomination rules can be found here)
Feb 11-12: tagset cleanup
Feb 13: sign-ups open
Feb 23, 8pm: sign-ups close
Feb 26: assignments out by this date
Apr 8, 8pm: works due
Apr 15, 8pm: work reveals
Apr 22, 8pm: creator reveals

All times in EST/EDT. You can contact us at smut4smutmod@gmail.com, or comment on this post with questions.

2023 Collection | 2023 Ships Tag Set | S4S Permanent Kink Tagset

Oxonmoot 2023

Oxonmoot is an annual event hosted by The Tolkien Society which brings together over 500 Tolkien fans, scholars, students and Society members from across the world. Oxonmoot 2023 is our Fiftieth Oxonmoot and will be held over four days from Thursday, 31 August, until Sunday, 3 September, at St Anne’s College, Woodstock Road, Oxford and online.

Oxonmoot hosts a variety of presentations and activities across the weekend.

Quick Links:

• Register for in-person attendance at Oxford University
• Register for online attendance
• Event information
• Call for papers
• Information on how to submit a proposal for an activity, entertainment, the masquerade, or the poetry reading will be forthcoming

February challenge at the tolkienshortfanworks community (Dreamwidth)

This month, for our tolkienshortfanworks challenge, we have been inspired by A Fandom Tribute to Keiliss, a collection on AO3 for tributes to Keiliss, a well-known and beloved fandom writer who died last year, due to be revealed on 19 February, which would have been her birthday. So we have chosen prompts in honour of Kei, although this is an entirely independent challenge that can also be filled if you should happen not to have encountered Kei's work at all (although, if so, please consider this a rec).



So here is our thematic prompt and our formal challenge for February:



The thematic prompt is: a piece featuring Glorfindel or Erestor or both Glorfindel and Erestor. (Kei often wrote these as a ship, but you do not have to write them as a pairing, unless you wish, and the piece does not have to be shippy, unless you want it to be.)



Optional bonus prompt element: in honour of Kei's last, sadly uncompleted but very substantial WIP, The Pink Flamingo: include a flamingo or something pink or red, especially if it is a bird.



The formal challenge is to write something involving the number 19: nineteen words, nineteen sentences, nineteen lines, nineteen paragraphs--or any other idea you can come up with.



As always, the two prompts can be filled entirely independently or combined with prompts from other challenges (in this case, obviously, especially A Fandom Tribute to Keiliss).

 

More details about the tolkienshortfanworks challenges at the linked post.

Tolkien Reading Day 2023

Tolkien Reading Day is held on the 25^th of March each year. The date of the 25^th of March was chosen as the date on which the Ring was destroyed, completing Frodo’s quest and vanquishing Sauron.

It has been organised by the Tolkien Society since 2003 to encourage fans to celebrate and promote the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien by reading favourite passages. We particularly encourage schools, museums and libraries to host their own Tolkien Reading Day events. Check the Tolkien Society website for more information on their event.

Tolkien Society Seminar: Númenor, the Mighty and Frail

The Tolkien Society Seminar is a short conference of both researcher-led and non-academic presentations on a specific theme pertaining to Tolkien scholarship.The Society held three seminars in 2021 (Twenty-first Century Receptions of Tolkien, Tolkien and Diversity, and Translating and Illustrating Tolkien) and their online setting has seen increased interest with over 700 attendees from 52 countries at ‘Tolkien and Diversity’. After the seminar, all paper recordings from the seminars are uploaded onto the Tolkien Society’s YouTube channel. We are delighted to run hybrid seminars where delegates can enjoy discussions on Tolkien in person and online.

This year's event, "Númenor, the Mighty and Frail," will be held both online and in-person at The Hilton, Leeds on 2 July 2023. Both events are free. 

The seminar aims to examine the role that Númenor plays in Tolkien’s legendarium. Although the island was pivotal to the secondary world narrative of the Second Age, it also re-emerged consistently in Tolkien’s writing and thinking from The Lost Road (1936-37), through The Lord of the Rings (1954-55) and The Notion Club Papers (1945), to ‘Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner’s Wife’ (1965) and other late essays. Númenor, then, is central to the growth of Tolkien’s legendarium and is a catalyst for seismic change in Arda.

Although Tolkien consistently refers to Númenor as the greatest human kingdom, its overwhelming military splendour and grand civilisation mask its frailty, which only grows over time. As is seen with the fractions of the King’s Men and the Faithful, Númenor’s fall may have been inevitable from its conception. However, its legacy in the Black Númenóeans and the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor evince that its legacy is still somewhat alive after its downfall.

Register to attend the event on the Tolkien Society's website.

The Battle of Maldon: together with The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth

The Battle of Maldon: together with The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth is the first ever standalone edition of one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s most important poetic dramas, that explores timely themes such as the nature of heroism and chivalry during war, and which features unpublished and never-before-seen texts and drafts. Leading Tolkien scholar, Peter Grybauskas, presents for the very first time J.R.R. Tolkien’s own prose translation of The Battle of Maldon together with the definitive treatment of The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth and its accompanying essays; also included and never before published is Tolkien’s bravura lecture, ‘The Tradition of Versification in Old English’, a wide-ranging essay on the nature of poetic tradition. Illuminated with insightful notes and commentary, he has produced a definitive critical edition of these works, and argues compellingly that, Beowulf excepted, The Battle of Maldon may well have been ‘the Old English poem that most influenced Tolkien’s fiction’, most dramatically within the pages of The Lord of the Rings. The Battle of Maldon: together with The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth goes on sale 30 March 2023.

Year of the OTP 2023

Year of the OTP is an event designed to encourage participants to make more content for a particular ship they love and end 2023 with twelve new fics for an OTP. The goal is to make one fanwork featuring a ship for each month in 2023, and each month features multiple prompts.

Year of the OTP 2023 AO3 Collection

Prompts

January

first kiss | mission fic | fake dating | “whenever I look at you…” | snow | historical au

February

valentine’s day | pollen/fear gas/truth serum | established relationship | “if i kiss you, will you shut up?” | different | mermaid au

March

fresh starts | road trup | getting back together/mutual pining | “make me” | acceptance | fairytale au

April

pranks | canon divergence | (seemingly) unrequited love | “no, i’m not dating your brother” | peace | university au

May

flower language | sick fic | pet/child acquisition | “who are you” | sunshine | fantasy/medieval/dark knights of steel au

June

wedding/proposal | saving the world | (accidental) love confession | “you aren’t what i expected” | downpour | soulmate au

July

vacation together | power swap | enemies to lovers | “batman won’t like this” | stars | coffee shop au

August

au of your choice | time travel | meet cute/blind date | “you’re the only one i could turn to for help” | storm | vampire/werewolf/dc vs vampires au

September

high school/college sweethearts | hurt/comfort | meeting the family | “i wrote this for you” | flood | shifter au

October

couples costume | test messaging | identity shenanigans | “you can’t bench me!” | lightning | sports team au

November

life changes | de-aging | secret relationship (reveal) | “be careful what you wish for” | growth | music/band au

December

holidays together | crack treated seriously | moving in together | “that’s my favorite thing about you” | forgiveness | tattoo parlor/flower shop au

Awesome Ladies Podfic Anthology XIII

This year will be the thirteenth and final Awesome Ladies Podfic Anthology. For one last time, we'll be collecting short lady-centric podfics by different readers in different fandoms to release as an anthology and as a collection of individual files.

The submission deadline for podfics is February 14th, and we will post the anthology on February 28th.

The theme for this year's anthology is transition. It's optional—all podfics are welcome as long as they follow the rules laid out in the Submission Guidelines—but feel free to let it inspire you if you'd like.

If you are not familiar with this project, you can see the previous anthologies here.

To Podficcers: Interested in participating? We'd love to have you. This should be a low-stress project, even for people who are new to podficcing, due to the word-count: 1500 words or less (with many being as short as 1-2 minutes). If you'd like to record something for this anthology, please fill out this quick google form and we'll send you the link to the spreadsheet where we'll be keeping track of all the podfics. If you would prefer to interface via email instead of using the form/spreadsheet, you can email klb at sekritproject@gmail.com, and she will reach out to get you set up.

Here are some good places for finding short fics about female characters:
-The Women Being Awesome, Female Characters, Female Character of Color, POV Female Character, and Female Relationships tags at the AO3, limited to word counts of 1500 or less.
-The Misses Clause Challenge from Yuletide
-Femslash Minis
-Awesome Ladies Ficathon (original LJ ficathon deleted, but these works crossposted to AO3 remain)
-Real Women Fest
-Female Character Trope Fest
-The Bechdel Test Comment Ficathon
-The Bechdel Test Comment Ficathon II
-Where No Woman: Un-erasing the women of Star Trek and Women of Star Trek
-Femslash Kinkmeme
-The Femslash February Collection
-Focus on Female Characters Collection
-Purimgifts

Since this project has a relatively quick turnaround time, you may want to refer to this database of authors who have posted blanket permission statements and/or install this browser extension that highlights all blanket permission authors from that database in green.

To the Podcurious: If you have ever thought you might like to create podfic, this is a really great starting place. It's low pressure, you might get listeners you wouldn’t otherwise reach, you're contributing to a cool fanwork that celebrates our love for female characters, and it's not too intense of a spotlight, because your piece is in the company of many other voices.

To Everyone: Feel free to comment with links to other fests or specific works that you think would be a good fit for this anthology. Additionally, we are looking for beta listeners who can absolutely commit to at LEAST two hours of beta listening between February 17th and 24th. Please let us know if you'd be available and interested; we'd be very grateful!

To Authors: We've had some awesome authors get involved in the past, in pod_together style, to create short female-centric pieces for the anthology in collaboration with podficcers. If you’re an author who’s interested and is seeking podficcers to work with, feel free to comment below. Podficcers who would like this sort of collaboration, please reply directly to the authors.

See this post for the rules and submission guidelines. If you have any additional questions, please let us know!