Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Silmalope by Dawn
Silmalope is the featured artist for Shadow's Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, "The Aromantic in Tolkien." Dawn spoke with Silmalope about their approach to making art, what inspires their work, and the importance of diverse representation in fanworks.
SWG News
New Challenge: Period Drama
A Matryoskha challenge with prompts inspired by common tropes in period dramas and historical fiction.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with JazTheBard by Maglor
Lúthien, Maeglin, and Arwen all share a reference to "twilight" in their names. In our latest interview for Mereth Aderthad 2025, Maglor spoke with JazTheBard about her paper "Twilight, Child Of: Comparisons Between Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel," the role of gender in the legendarium, and setting parts of her presentation to music.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Savannah Horrell by Anérea
Although he considered Germanic literature some of his key inspirations, Tolkien's work deviated in its tendency to prefer the perspective of the humble over the privileged. Anérea spoke with Savannah Horrell about her upcoming Mereth Aderthad presentation "By Guile Committed: Comparing Tolkien’s Thieves to Beowulf" and how Tolkien's depictions of thieves differ from the Anglo-Saxon poem "Beowulf."
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] She Hath My Love (Drabbles about Women) by Elrond's Library
A collection of drabbles about women in Tolkien's Legendarium.
[Writing] One In the Fires of the Heart of the World by Isilme_among_the_stars
Maedhros finds that regret and pain do not end with death. But it does at last bring release from the oath and he can at last embark upon the long, hard road toward redemption.
[Reference] Interview with Dr. Zara Ashkenazi-Khan by Saelind by SWG Newsletter Staff
In her upcoming paper for Mereth Aderthad 2025, "Exile, Ruin and Resistance: Beleriand as Postcolonial Palimpsest," Dr. Zara Ashkenazi-Khan considers why the third kinslaying stands apart in a book filled with violence. Saelind recently spoke with Zara about her paper, postcolonialism and …
[Artwork] Finarfin Moodboard by Artano
Moodboard focused on Finarfin before and near the beginning of the War of Wrath
[Writing] History has its eyes on you by daughterofshadows
Gil-galad, Hamilton lyrics and three poignant events in his life.
[Reference] Interview with Silmalope by Dawn by silmalope
Silmalope is the featured artist for Shadow's Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, "The Aromantic in Tolkien." Dawn spoke with Silmalope about their approach to making art, what inspires their work, and the importance of diverse representation in fanworks.
[Writing] High in the Clean Blue Air by StarSpray
They passed out of Lhûn and the wider coastline of Middle-earth opened up before his eyes. He had wandered those shores for centuries, and even now he felt the pull of that same wanderlust, and knew he would miss them for the rest of his life. Their wildness, the untamed waves, the rocky…
Current Challenge
Period Drama
A Matryoshka challenge where prompts are inspired by common tropes found in period dramas and historical fiction. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Parting's Sorrow
Create a fanwork about the separation of friends and family. Read more ...
New in References
Interview with Dr. Zara Ashkenazi-Khan by Saelind by SWG Newsletter Staff
In her upcoming paper for Mereth Aderthad 2025, "Exile, Ruin and Resistance: Beleriand as Postcolonial Palimpsest," Dr. Zara Ashkenazi-Khan considers why the third kinslaying stands apart in a book filled with violence. Saelind recently spoke with Zara about her paper, postcolonialism and The Silmarillion, and how fanfiction and scholarship each contribute in important ways to our understanding of Tolkien.
Interview with Silmalope by Dawn by silmalope
Silmalope is the featured artist for Shadow's Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, "The Aromantic in Tolkien." Dawn spoke with Silmalope about their approach to making art, what inspires their work, and the importance of diverse representation in fanworks.
Interview with JazTheBard by Maglor by JazTheBard
Lúthien, Maeglin, and Arwen all share a reference to "twilight" in their names. In our latest interview for Mereth Aderthad 2025, Maglor spoke with JazTheBard about her paper "Twilight, Child Of: Comparisons Between Tinúviel, Lómion, and Undómiel," the role of gender in the legendarium, and setting parts of her presentation to music.
Featured Themed Collection
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features fiction, artwork, and essays that transcend the idea of Orcs as the enemy, instead considering their humanity.
Alliterative Verse for Arda by Rhunedhel
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features alliterative poems about Middle-earth.
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Saying Goodbye by StarSpray
Frodo spent his last summer in the Shire much as he had the one before he’d gone on his journey.
[Multimedia] Rosemary for Remembrance by Himring
Three years after Arathorn's death, Gilraen receives a letter.
It contains a short poem and a sprig of rosemary.
Around the World and Web
Monster Fucker May 2025
This is an 18+ Tumblr and AO3 event for smutty fanworks involving monsters from the legendarium, put on by the Tolkien Pinup Calendar.
Tolkien100 Drabble Community
Tolkien100 is a long-running drabble community that originated on LiveJournal and is currently maintained on both LiveJournal and Dreamwidth. The community focusses on fixed length-drabbles (100 words). There are also regular prompts. New participants welcome.
May Challenge at tolkienshortfanworks on Dreamwidth
The May challenge has been posted at the tolkienshortfanwork community on Dreamwidth. This month it is a number of prompts containing "may", including "May It Be", by Enya.
Teitho May/June Challenge: Weddings
The theme for Teitho's May/June contest is "weddings."
Gondolin Week 2025
Gondolin Week is a Tumblr event for celebrating characters who called Gondolin their home.
References by Topic
