Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Kai by Shadow
Kai is the featured artist for Maglor's Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, "Gil-galad was an Elven King: Kingship and Personhood in the last High King of the Noldor." Shadow spoke with Kai about his wide range of interests and inspirations in the legendarium and why Maglor's presentation so intrigued him that he finished the art for it the first night.
SWG News
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Dawn Felagund by Shadow
In our series of interviews of creators for Mereth Aderthad, Shadow spoke with Dawn about her story, written for Savannah Horrell's "By Guile Committed: Comparing Tolkien’s Thieves to Beowulf" presentation, the balance of planning an event and creating for it at the same time, and the intersection of Tolkien and Beowulf.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with Cindy Gates by Grundy
Cindy Gates' upcoming Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation "Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation" considers the ethics of science in the legendarium. Grundy spoke with Cindy about her research, her own experience as a professional scientist, and her long-running fascination with the Manhattan Project.
So You Want to Present at a Tolkien Conference? Actually Presenting!
Part of our ongoing series to support fans who want to present at Mereth Aderthad and other Tolkien conferences, this session will share strategies for delivering a presentation at a conference.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Reference] Interview with Grundy by Shadow by Grundy, daughterofshadows
Long fascinated with the Manhattan Project, Grundy was naturally drawn to Cindy Gates' Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation “Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation" and is making a work of glass art to accompany it. Shadow spoke to Grundy about her inspiration on the project and long love of…
[Writing] Eä's Redemption by AaronAzrael
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…
[Writing] All That the Waves Did Not Claim by Isilme_among_the_stars
Little moments of reflection with Maglor as he comes to terms with grief. A collection of drabbles and other short writings to accompany One in the Deep Waters.
[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…
[Reference] Interview with reese by Dawn by halethleia, Dawn Felagund
Reese is the featured author for polutropos's presentation "'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium" at Mereth Aderthad 2025. Dawn spoke with reese about the silences storytellers leave, mythology, and the appeal of alternate universe fanfiction.
[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.
[Artwork] A Bedu Hobbit tent-hole by Anérea
A Hobbit home in the desert of Harad
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
Middle-earth Is Multitudes
Use our daily prompt calendar to populate your fanworks with a more diverse array of characters. Read more ...
New in References
Interview with Grundy by Shadow by Grundy, daughterofshadows
Long fascinated with the Manhattan Project, Grundy was naturally drawn to Cindy Gates' Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation “Tolkien, Lunatic Physicists, and Abnegation" and is making a work of glass art to accompany it. Shadow spoke to Grundy about her inspiration on the project and long love of Tolkien.
Interview with reese by Dawn by halethleia, Dawn Felagund
Reese is the featured author for polutropos's presentation "'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium" at Mereth Aderthad 2025. Dawn spoke with reese about the silences storytellers leave, mythology, and the appeal of alternate universe fanfiction.
Interview with Kai by Shadow by Kai, daughterofshadows
Kai is the featured artist for Maglor's Mereth Aderthad 2025 presentation, "Gil-galad was an Elven King: Kingship and Personhood in the last High King of the Noldor." Shadow spoke with Kai about his wide range of interests and inspirations in the legendarium and why Maglor's presentation so intrigued him that he finished the art for it the first night.
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
[Artwork] Floating through the Forest River by Varda delle Stelle
Bilbo and Thorin's Company are arriving to Lake Town floating through the Forest River with the barrels
[Writing] The Wondrous Tale of the Bee-wolf by bunn
Once upon a time, JRR Tolkien wrote a fairy-tale retelling, an attempt to reconstruct an alternative version of the ancient poem called Beowulf, and he called it Sellic Spell: 'strange tale' or 'wondrous tale'.
Once upon a time, on the long road home from the Lonely…
[Writing] Dáin's Saga by bunn
The tale of Dáin Ironfoot, told loosely in the style of a saga of Iceland (in English translation).
Around the World and Web
Scribbles and Drabbles 2025
Scribbles & Drabbles is an annual Tolkien event where artists create artwork and writers then write stories (a drabble or longer) inspired by the art.
Camp Tolkien 2025
A Tumblr event with daily prompts aimed at different stages of the writing process.
Boromir Week 2025
Boromir Week is a Tumblr event for fanworks about Boromir.
Celebrimbor Week 2025
A Tumblr event celebrating Celebrimbor as he is depicted in all books and media.
June challenge at tolkienshortfanworks on Dreamwidth
The June challenge has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth: thematic prompt: reward - regard; formal challenge: alliteration. As always, these prompts can be filled separately or combined freely with other challenges that allow it.
Fanworks Tagged with Drawing/Painting
Floating through the Forest River by Varda delle Stelle
Bilbo and Thorin's Company are arriving to Lake Town floating through the Forest River with the barrels
Varda delle Stelle by Varda delle Stelle
Portrait of Varda Elentari
The Bedu Hobbits of Far Harad by Anérea
Speculations on Hobbit pre-history - a brief illustrated headcanon.
A Bedu Hobbit tent-hole by Anérea
A Hobbit home in the desert of Harad
Scion of Kings by silmalope
Drawing my favorite Gil-galad origin headcanon, wherein Fingon stumbles across a stray war orphan in the battlefield.
Gorthaur by elennalore
Artwork created for Mairon 30-Day Character Study
The Great Journey by Anérea
An instadrawble painting
Portrait of Indis by between_thepages
A portrait of Indis in her wedding dress
Nienor and the Golden Fish by Anérea
An illustration for a very loose crossover concept with Nienor and the magic golden fish from the Chinese fairytale of Ye Xian, a Cindarella tale predating the European version by over 1000 years.
Mîm: 30-Day Character Study - Artwork by Artano
Artwork created for prompts for the 30-Day Character Study Challenge.
Forest of Brethil by Anérea
Created for the Storied Places bingo board
Aredhel at Eithel Ivrin by Anérea
Painting of Aredhel at the Pools of Ivrin
Places and Spaces - Potluck Bingo Art by Zara BalrogBalls
Artwork for Elleth’s Potluck Bingo board: starting off appropriately with Piecemeal Palace in Himring — Maedhros’ potlucky manor house, aka where Elrond & Elros grew up ✨
2024 Potluck Doodles by silmalope
Assorted prompt fills for the 2024 Potluck bingo boards, to varying degrees of completion! :)
Long-tressed Wingildi by Anérea
"... the long-tressed Wingildi ... spirits of the foam and the surf of ocean."
~ a painted sketch for Scribbles and Drabbles 2024.
On the Way Home by silmalope
Doriath Family Reunion AU: Túrin twisted his ankle in the woods, and big sister Lúthien is giving him a ride home. :)
Behind God’s Back by silmalope
A short comic for the Sept-Oct 2024 Idiomatic challenge. The stifling environment of Eöl’s “dim halls, silent and secret” contrasts with young Maeglin’s idealized vision of Gondolin as a divine, sunlit paradise, home to the godlike Noldor.
Celegorm - Treelight in his eyes by Gabriel
Character portrait of Celegorm Feanorian
Telperion by wisteria53
A quote from the Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter 1 for the Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang (artwork number 45 for TRSB 2024).
Sun flowering by wisteria53
A quote from the Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter 13 for the Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang (artwork number 19 for TRSB 2024).
Summer Celebration by between_thepages
Amarië and Finrod are dancing together during a celebration of summer.
