Character of the Month: Marach
There are few details in the texts about Marach, but he is noteworthy for his allegiances and his descendants, who would become pivotal to the history of Middle-earth and the eventual defeat of Morgoth and Sauron.
SWG News
New Challenge: Allusive
Literature and art constantly refer back to each other using allusions, and this month's prompts are inspired by allusions to literature, myth, art, and history.
Cultus Dispatches: "The Rings of Power" Is a Ripple (So Far)
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data for 2025 shows that "The Rings of Power" TV series has not had the same impact on the fandom as the film trilogies did ... so far.
New Challenge: Building Middle-earth
Let global architecture be your inspiration in this challenge, where you will work with a prompts that are architectural styles, locations in Arda, or both.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] From That Rubble by StarSpray
Fëanor shrugged, studying the contents of his wine glass. “Something must be done about that house. It will fall down eventually.”
“It does not follow that it must be you that tears it down single-handedly. Are you sure you do not want help?”
“It’s not as though I…
[Writing] most days I don't recognize me by annarobots
Of course, she knew that in the Blessed Land, true harm was unlikely to come to him. The Valar watched over them all, and the lesser spirits were everywhere. It was a great hound of Oromë who had found him happily splashing in the creek, in fact. But anyone could drown in mere…
[Series] Eat, Pray, Love by AdmirableMonster
The Darkest Timeline AU for my Steampunk Númenor series.
In which the Mouth of Sauron is originally a Númenorean chemister rescued from Ar-Pharazôn's intimate attentions by Sauron himself.
[Writing] Rise from the Ashes by AdmirableMonster
In the wake of Sauron's death, his Mouth remembers Númenor.
[Reference] Speak Friend and Enter: Trends in Fandom Entry Year by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Across three surveys and ten years, the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey has document when authors began writing. These data reveal trends in how film promotions, the films themselves, the books, and other historical contexts have influenced not only who writes but how long they stay.
[Writing] Crossing the Great Sea by elennalore
He has perhaps made a great mistake, but it's too late now.
[Writing] A Thousand Winds that Blow by StarSpray
When uneasy dreams bring him back into Beleriand, Daeron finds a pair of twins who have lost their home, and an enemy who has lost himself. The Shadow's reach is growing ever longer, and if they are to survive, they must do it together.
Current Challenge
Allusive
Choose from our list of allusions to history, literature, mythology, and art to create a fanwork. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Akallabêth in August
Every August, we focus on one of the most tumultuous times in Arda's history: the Second Age and the rise and fall of Númenor. Any story that is or might conceivably be part of the Akallabêth is acceptable for this challenge. Read more ...
New in References
Speak Friend and Enter: Trends in Fandom Entry Year by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Across three surveys and ten years, the Tolkien Fanfiction Survey has document when authors began writing. These data reveal trends in how film promotions, the films themselves, the books, and other historical contexts have influenced not only who writes but how long they stay.
There are few details in the texts about Marach, but he is noteworthy for his allegiances and his descendants, who would become pivotal to the history of Middle-earth and the eventual defeat of Morgoth and Sauron.
Featured Themed Collection
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Artwork] A Memento of Faery by Grundy
TRSB26 art 144 - an artifact brought back from Faerie by a Starbearer.
[Writing] Down the Long Years by Isilme_among_the_stars
Bilbo, the strange old hobbit with the wandering feet, senses something special in young Frodo the first time he sees the lad; as they become close, they find in each other a cameraderie not well understood by other hobbits. Five poignant moments between Bilbo and Frodo Baggins over the course…
Around the World and Web
Finwëan Ladies Week 2026
Finwëan Ladies Week will run from September 21-27, 2026!
Fingon x Finrod x Maedhros Day 2026
A day to celebrate the relationship of the three eldest princes.
Forgotten Ground Regained Features Tolkien-Inspired Alliterative Poetry
The quarterly journal "Forgotten Ground Regained" publishes alliterative poetry and, in Issue 11, turns to focus on poems written about Tolkien's world, including several pieces by SWG poets.
Sindar Week 2026
A Tolkien event week for the Sindar, the Grey-Elves, from the Years of the Trees to the Third Age.
Finwean Sibblings Prompt Fest 2026
A prompt-based fandom event aiming to focus on celebrating Finwë's children: Fëanor, Findis, Fingolfin, Lalwen, & Finarfin - ships, gen relationships, or character-centric
wind rider's Favorites
Favorite Fanworks
Defiance by Marta
I love Ulmo (and well, all the Maiar of the sea). Here he was depicted quite nicely and thoroughly, despite the small size of the piece. There I was treated to two brief but good lines about my most favourite Maiar - Ossë and Uinen!
Fanwork Information
Of all the Valar, Ulmo arguably knew the Numenoreans best and it was his waves that were used in their destruction. What must he have thought about the Akallabeth?
| Major Characters: Ulmo |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama, Fixed-Length Ficlet | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
The Blue Book of Bilbo Baggins, or, Tales of the Forbidden Silmarillion by Gandalfs apprentice
All right. I did not particularly like the last scenes of this story, but anyway I admit that it was a piece of superb quality. The word choice was good, and the flow too. The ideas were mostly original as well... and, what impressed me the most, some of the vague nooks in the Silmarillion were depicted rather vividly.
Fanwork Information
As readers know from Tyellas's Lost in the Translation, Bilbo made another book--one with a blue cover. This story tells of the fate of this mysterious volume, and, even better, has extracts from some of the tales....you know you want to read it. Seriously AU. Illustrations by greywing.
Thanks to Tyellas for allowing me to borrow the idea of the Blue Book from her superb story and to oshun for her thoughtful criticism and for being a good friend. Special thanks to Maeve Riannon and to greywing for their unique contributions, and to all the writers at the Garden of Ithilien.
| Major Characters: Ainur, Beren, Dior, Elu Thingol, Glorfindel, Idril, Lúthien Tinúviel, Maeglin, Manwë, Melkor, Nienna, Sauron, Sons of Fëanor, Tuor, Uinen, Ulmo, Valar, Varda |
| Major Relationships: No major characters listed |
| Genres: Drama, Humor | Challenges: No challenge listed |
| Rating: General | Warnings: Mature Themes |
| Posted on | Updated on |
| This fanwork is complete. |
