Happy Hobbit Day everyone! On this day in 1937, J.R.R. Tolkien gave us The Hobbit, our doorway into Middle-earth. Inside he hid a gift to his favourite aunt. My latest blog post will put you in the picture! tinyurl.com/hobbitongrange #Tolkien #HobbitDay #Hobbit

Tolkien hid all kinds of personal jokes and messages in his stories and – it turns out – in his pictures. Here's a newly discovered one in his famous image of Hobbiton. tinyurl.com/hobbitongrange #Tolkien #Hobbit #Hobbiton #inspiration #Nottinghamshire

At his talk in Cork, @johngarthwriter.bsky.social talked about the influence of the Tuatha de Danann on the elves. This whole sequence reminds me a bit of another part of Irish mythology, the Colloquy of the Ancients.

What do you think the #Beatles might have sung if they'd made their #LotR movie? I'll start… Carry That Weight Shelob’s You Elanor Gamgee I Am The Man Who Wrote The Oxford English Dictionary Etymology For The Word “Walrus” [Gary B and Gary D 🥲 also contributed. No AI was used in this image.]

What do you think the #Beatles might have sung if they'd made their #LotR movie? I'll start… Carry That Weight Shelob’s You Elanor Gamgee I Am The Man Who Wrote The Oxford English Dictionary Etymology For The Word “Walrus” [No AI was used in this image. Gary B and Gary D 😢 contributed.]

My new article with @petermgilliver.bsky.social, in the newly announced Tolkien Studies 21, sheds light on a hazy but crucial period of Tolkien's life – at the end of his WW1 soldiering and the start of his OED work. kalimac.blogspot.com/2025/08/tolk... #tolkien #oed #ww1 #tolkienstudies

The unexpected joys of teaching a Tolkien course in Tolkien's old Oxford college, Merton… My room is in a 16th-century building and the view from the windows might be of some nook of Minas Tirith. Outside in the street someone is talking about Tolkien. It's deep immersion!

Long before hobbits, #Elves were at the heart of #Tolkien's mythology. From Lúthien to Legolas, they continue to enchant us. This Tuesday, online or at Brixton's Blues Kitchen, I explore their inspirations, lore and lessons for us all. Plus tips on Elvish! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tolkiens-e...

The latest conversation was with leading Tolkien scholar @johngarthwriter.bsky.social - we talked about Tolkien's life, the process of research and the impact of Middle-earth! This was a treat. youtu.be/SPJu_VyeIw4

What can we expect from Tolkien's BOVADIUM FRAGMENTS? tinyurl.com/bovadian #Tolkien #Bovadium

Here's the cover of Tolkien's satire on Oxford and the motor car, THE BOVADIUM FRAGMENTS, out on 9 October. The painting is Tolkien's … but actually it doesn't show Oxford at all. So here's my quiz question for you. Where and when did he paint it? #tolkien #bovadium #oxford

The BIG painting is finished! It was visiting Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland that inspired JRR Tolkien to create the concept of middle-earth. I know this because my drawing of the same view was used to illustrate a book about Tolkien by John Garth. #Tolkien

Not just the quote from Tolkien either. Great article from John Garth!

some bts from the latest interview can't believe I get to do stuff like this

I’m bringing my epic history of #Tolkien's #LotR to Liverpool next week! Book now for a fantastic evening on Wednesday 21 May at Boxpark Liverpool. With Q&A and book signing. Tickets going fast, so get yours at tinyurl.com/lpool-tolkien @boxpark.bsky.social

“Why was Tolkien writing about fairies in a war zone?" That question helped launch @johngarthwriter.bsky.social into researching Tolkien’s life during the War, and shed new light on the origins of Middle-earth! Our full conversation is live now!

Indeed, a great time was had by all. Thanks for the chat, ‪@tolkienwonder.bsky.social. It was great to share some memories, ambitions, ideas, and (above all) love for #Tolkien's works. Enjoy the video, everyone!

I’m bringing my epic history of #Tolkien's #LotR to Liverpool next week! Book now for a fantastic evening on Wednesday 21 May at Boxpark Liverpool. With Q&A and book signing. Tickets going fast, so get yours at tinyurl.com/lpool-tolkien @boxpark.bsky.social

I had a very pleasant time yesterday at a talk by John Garth on Tolkien and the creation of the mythology of Arda. I really appreciated the research he did to identify some of the ways Ireland impacted Tolkien and his works. Go see him if you ever get the chance!

This week: Middle-earth comes to #Ireland. Join me, “an exceptional guide”, “the leading #Tolkien critic of the present generation” for his epic life + #LotR, #Irish visits + fairy inspirations, writings on St Brendan + even Finnegans Wake! #Cork #Dublin #Limerick #Kilkenny Links in reply.

For those who do not already have it, @johngarthwriter.bsky.social's excellent book "The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien" is currently 50% off on @princetonupress.bsky.social with code BLOOM50 through May 31. press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

Thanks to the great audience for my talk on the Epic History of #LotR at Oxford's Saïd Business School with Seed Talks last night. And thanks to all those who came to chat with me and buy my books. I had a blast and I hope you all did too. Perfect set-up for my Ireland tour next week! #Tolkien

“Middle-earth sprang to life during the First World War, and the two were entwined from the beginnings of Tolkien’s mythology.” - @johngarthwriter.bsky.social

Excited to announce that @johngarthwriter.bsky.social , renowned Tolkien scholar and author of the amazing Tolkien and the Great War, is joining me soon on the channel! His insights into Tolkien’s life and imagination are one-of-a-kind! Subscribe here: www.youtube.com/@tolkienwonder

My 2024 #Tolkien tour with Seed Talks kicks off on Monday in his own city – Oxford. Come and join me at the University's Saïd Business School with Seed Talks as I unfold the epic history of #LotR. Also coming up: Cork, Dublin, Limerick, Liverpool, Brixton… www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-epic-h...

Spotted: cheeky review of Katya Seberson's "Essential Speed Reading Techniques: How to Become a Better, Faster Reader"

Available from my website! johngarth.co.uk/php/tolkien_...

@johngarthwriter.bsky.social has a way of writing about Tolkien and LOTR that is both deep and compelling. This book is as rich in information as it is in beauty! The hardcover is only $20. A must have for Tolkien fans. 📚 amzn.to/4lqTQa0

#Tolkien in 1955 on being asked what made him tick: "I don't tick, I am not a machine. (If I did tick, I should have no views on it, and you had better ask the winder.)" What would he have said about #AI and creativity in 2025? I have thoughts … steadyhq.com/en/john-gart...

J.R.R. Tolkien steamed out of Cape Town on 29 March 1895, just three years old. At my crowdfunding blog, read about his journey – and how he was misidentified on arrival in England, his homeland for the rest of his life… Read more at steadyhq.com/en/john-gart... #tolkien

Prompted by your @theguardian.com article, @ellacreamer.bsky.social

Tolkien Reading Day (yesterday) marks the destruction of the Ruling Ring, Tolkien's symbol of the machine. Now his works are being used to train AI. What would he have thought? Find out at my blog. steadyhq.com/en/john-gart... #tolkien #AI #librarygenesis #copyright @societyofauthors.bsky.social

@johngarthwriter.bsky.social literally wrote the book on it: Tolkien and the Great War. Essential. bsky.app/profile/john...

“Parma Eldalamberon 20 : The Qenya Alphabet” is available again on demand at Barnes and Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/s/parma%20el... The Great British Bookshop: www.thegreatbritishbookshop.co.uk/search?type=...

"If you want to keep digging deeper into #Tolkien biographies this is a solid addition to anyone’s list." Thoughtful review of TOLKIEN AND THE GREAT WAR (and of others' reviews of it). mytolkienarchive.wordpress.com/2025/02/12/t...

Did England's Black Country inspire Mordor? Now we have Tolkien's own outraged description of the real place, from a train journey to Oxford shortly before he created Sauron's dark realm… steadyhq.com/en/john-gart... And if you like my work, please support it 🙂 #BlackCountry #Mordor #Tolkien #JRRT

Do you know if the English language acquired a rush of new smell words after 1935 @petermgilliver.bsky.social? This was when the Smell Society was formed with that purpose (among others). Founded by #GeorgeBernardShaw, #HGWells and one Ambrose E. Appelbe, who wrote in the Times…

I've ditched #Microsoft's entirely unwelcome and intrusive #AI #Copilot by switching my subscription to 365 Family Classic (£20 cheaper). I don't need AI to write, thanks. And if I'd had AI all along, I'd never have learned the skills I love. AI is not an aid, it's a poison.

I discuss #Tolkien in a new TV documentary, Dan Snow @thehistoryguy.bsky.social asks me about #JRRT and #WW1, and I reveal an upcoming special on Tolkien's #Finnish inspirations. Read more at my Steady project blog… steadyhq.com/en/john-gart...

Sam Leith on Word 365 AI: "'Upgraded' to features I neither need nor want, colossally wasteful of computing power and damaging to the environment, at best experimental or unpredictable, and dependent on stealing copyright material from artists and writers. I'm charged £25 more a year for this."

How do I keep up with what's going on in the world of #Tolkien scholarship and fandom? I subscribe to @thetolkienist.com's newsletters. And I support his crowdfunding campaign, without which it wouldn't be possible. Recommended!

Outstanding people in this: @tolkiensociety.org; @unamccormack.bsky.social; @ursulakleguin.com; @alas-not-me.bsky.social; @erikmh.org; @johngarthwriter.bsky.social and many more... Subscribe for free: steadyhq.com/en/thetolkie...

With #StormÉowyn currently battering Ireland and Great Britain, another #Tolkien connection this morning is a podcast release by BBC Sounds about the author of #TheHobbit and #LordoftheRings, in which @thehistoryguy.bsky.social talks to @johngarthwriter.bsky.social. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Storm Éowyn, with a name inspired by Tolkien, is heading for the British Isles. I hope everyone can stay safe. Meanwhile, read how he imagined a gale hitting Ireland with historic force… Go here: tinyurl.com/stormtolkien #StormÉowyn #Tolkien #Eire #Ireland #Atomic #Númenor

Today is the birthday of Francis Morgan, the man #Tolkien called ‘my second father’. On my Steady crowdfunding page I've posted a previously unseen photo plus an extract from my preface to José Manuel Ferrández Bru's biography of Fr Francis.

In her terrific bio of the Brothers Grimm — pub @yalepress.bsky.social — Ann Schmeising demonstrates the power and the danger of these eternal and essential tales — and reminds us why they haunt us still. My review in the @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/3ea0...

Whenever John puts out something new it's worth reading. And if you can - do support him on Steady (think Patreon, just better!), it's helping him do even more outstanding research. I'm in already and you can be, too! #Tolkien

One of Tolkien’s gifts to us is the word mathom. It seems a good topic for the Professor’s birthday. In this specially written post, I unwrap the word and find out what more it has to offer us … steadyhq.com/en/john-gart... #tolkien #lotr

I was pretty quiet online in 2024 but extremely busy researching and writing on #Tolkien. Until late September, when disaster struck – literally. Read about my year of Tolkien and tribulation here … and please consider supporting my work. tinyurl.com/2cjsaebk Happy New Year!

Wishing all my friends and followers a rejuvenating Yuletide. (Forochel scene with thanks to the very late Olaus Magnus.)