We've put up a quick video announcing and discussing the reasoning behind having a Rings of Power sub-forum here at TCG. Hope you all enjoy the ever-evolving production values for these videos! (Even though if you are reading this, you already know about this sub-forum - still, we do go into some of the reasoning behind the evolving forum decisions we are making).

The Bradford Literary festival runs from the 24th June to the 3rd July.



https://www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk/events/?genre=tolkien

The Tolkien themed events are

Saturday 25th June

The Great Tales Never End

GRACE KHURI, CATHERINE MCILWAINE, JOHN GARTH
Lecture Theatre, The Dye House Gallery, Bradford College
10:30 (60mins) £7

What was Tolkien’s intended ending for The Lord of the Rings?

What was the audience’s response to the first ever adaptation of The Lord of the Rings – a radio dramatisation that has now been deleted forever from the BBC’s archives?

What was the significance of the extraordinary array of doorways which confronted the hobbits as they journeyed through Middle-earth?

During this panel discussion, the University of Oxford’s Grace Khuri will be joined by Tolkein(sic) Archivist Catherine McIlwaine and biographer John Garth to explore J.R.R. Tolkien’s mammoth legacy and his son’s tireless work in sharing it with the world.

https://www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk/event/the-great-tales-never-end/

Where Did Tolkien Find His Inspiration?

CATHERINE J. BATT, JOHN GARTH, ALARIC HALL
Lecture Theatre, The Dye House Gallery, Bradford College
11:45 (75mins) £7

Are you entranced by the world of The Lord of the Rings? Do you ever wonder where the shire is, or what inspired Mordor?

From Norse mythology to Christian faith, from his fellow fantasy writers and the very real battlegrounds of World War I, from being orphaned in childhood to nearly losing the love of his life, join us as we explore the varied and unlikely inspirations that shaped J.R.R. Tolkien’s much-loved fantasy worlds.

Chaired by University of Leeds’ medieval literature lecturer Catherine J. Batt, this event’s panel includes Tolkien biographer John Garth and mediaeval literary, history and Norse mythology expert Alaric Hall.

https://www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk/even ... ien-find-his-inspiration/

Sunday 26th June

The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien: The Places that Inspired Middle-earth

JOHN GARTH
The Dye House Gallery, Bradford College
11:45 (60mins) £7

The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien is the lavishly illustrated book by author and Middle-earth scholar John Garth, which takes us on a journey to the places that inspired the fantastical realms featured in Tolkien classics like The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

Garth will introduce us to places near and far that helped shape many iconic Middle-earth locations. Find out how Tolkien’s beloved West Midlands and Oxford played its part, before discovering the real-life locations that inspired Hobbiton, elf-retreat Rivendell, the glittering mine of Helm’s Deep, and much more.

Don’t miss a fascinating journey through some some of Tolkien’s favourite landscapes.

https://www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk/even ... at-inspired-middle-earth/

Inspired by Tolkien

DAVID BARNETT, SAMANTHA SHANNON, COURTTIA NEWLAND

The Dye House Gallery, Bradford College
16:00 (60mins) £7

While fantasy certainly existed before Frodo, Gollum and Middle-earth, as soon as visionary author J.R.R. Tolkien picked up his pen, the genre was never the same again. Tolkien’s influence on other beloved writers like Terry Pratchett and George R. R. Martin, and on pop-culture products like the ever-popular Dungeons & Dragons, has been massive.

During this event, authors David Barnett, Samantha Shannon and Courttia Newland will discuss Tolkien’s vast impact within literature, and how his writing has influenced them personally as writers.

https://www.bradfordlitfest.co.uk/event/inspired-by-tolkien/

The Easton Press is an American based fine book binder and distributor who has been printing Tolkien titles since the mid 1980s. They had a licensing agreement with the former US Tolkien publisher Houghton Mifflin for most of that time to license the titles they wanted to offer and when that agreement ran out they would have to re-up on a new contract.

With recent move of American Tolkien publishing over to William Morrow Books through HarperCollins, one could speculate that Easton Press may be seeing the end of their time publishing Tolkien or at least seeing a change in what titles they can offer and when they can offer them. Easton Press publications are sturdy and hold up well to reading, which is why I have several of their titles. They are also odd in many ways, while they are all a dark green color, they don't all match (different covers, heights, etc...) and many of the binds strike me as a bit bland.

Very interested to hear what y'all think.

I have noticed over the last few months Easton Press have dramatically increased the number titles they are offering and I offer a short summary below. Notable titles not being offered (Nature of Middle-earth, Shaping of Middle-earth, The Lost Road, Art of the Hobbit, Beowulf, Sir Gawain, Letters of JRR Tolkien)

1. The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, & Silmarillion set
-Hobbit & Lord of the Rings volumes have a color frontispiece from Michael Hague. Same
set they have been offering since the 1980's. Includes foldout maps.

2. The Fall of Gondolin
- Edited by Christopher Tolkien and published in 2018. Bound from sheets from the trade
hardback with Alan Lee's illustrations

3. The Story of Kullervo
- Edited by Dr. Verlyn Flieger and published in 2016. Bound from sheets from the trade
hardback. They appear to not be offering this title much longer.

4. The Books of Lost Tales, History of Middle-earth Vol. 1&2
-Edited by Christopher Tolkien and published in 1983-84. Both include illustrated
frontispieces as well. Sold together as a set.

5. Tales from the Perilous Realm
-Collection of short stories and lesser known Tolkien works. Published in 1997. Bound
from the sheets of the trade hardback edition with Alan Lee's sketches throughout.
6. The Lays of Beleriand
-Edited by Christopher Tolkien and published in 1985. History of Middle-earth Vol 3
Bound from a standard edition.

7. Carpenter's Biography of JRR Tolkien
-The first and most known biography of Tolkien, written by Humphrey Carpenter. Bound
from a standard edition.

8. Foster's Complete Guide to Middle-earth
- Compiled by Robert Foster in the 1970's, the first reference guide to Tolkien's world.
Bound from the most up to date edition, not illustrated(that is until the '22 edition
comes out)

9. Beren and Luthien
-Edited by Christopher Tolkien, published in 2015. Bound from sheets of the standard
edition with Alan Lee's illustrations included.

10. The Legend of Siguard and Gudrun
-Edited by Christopher Tolkien, published in 2009. Tolkien's working with the Norse
legends. Bound from sheets of the standard trade edition.

11. Morgoth's Ring & War of the Jewels, History of Middle-earth Vol. 10&11
-Edited by Christopher Tolkien, published in 1993 & 1994. Sold as a set and bound from
standard sheets.

12. The Art of the Lord of the Rings
-Edited by Hammond & Scull, published in 2015. A collection of much of Tolkien's
drawings and artwork from the writing of the Lord of the Rings. Bound from the
standard trade edition.

13. The Worlds of JRR Tolkien
-By John Garth, published in 2021. An illustrated treatise on places that likely inspired
Tolkien throughout his life. Bound from the standard edition.

14. The Fall of Arthur
-Edited by Christopher Tolkien , published in 2013. Tolkien's unfinished attempt to craft
an Arthur legend and re-work some of the characters. Bound from standard trade
sheets. An older red Easton Press version exists.

15. The Lay of Aotrou & Itroun
-Edited by Dr. Verlyn Flieger, published in 2016. A 506 line poem written by Tolkien in
1930, and originally published in 1945. Bound from the sheets of the trade edition.

16. The History of the Lord of the Rings
-Editied by Christopher Tolkien, published from 1988-1992, History of Middle-earth Vol
6-9. This is the American publication that is missing Sauron Defeated, which is
replaced with The End of the Third Age, a shortened version.

17. The Letters of Father Christmas
-Edited by Baillie Tolkien, published in 2020. Bound from sheets of the Centenary
edition, this is the 2nd version of Letters of Father Xmas Easton Press has offered.

18. Unfinished Tales
-Edited by Christopher Tolkien, published in 1980. Bound from sheets from the standard
hardback edition, with a colored frontispiece, matching the format of the BoLT
volumes.

19. The Children of Hurin
-Edited by Christopher Tolkien, published in 2007. Bound from sheets of the standard
hardback edition with Alan Lee's illustrations throughout. Includes a foldout map.

Forum Auctions 26th May 2022 - 10:30am

Lot 212 - Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, first edition, first

Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, first edition, first impression, frontispiece, one plate and 8 illustrations, including 7 full-page, map endpapers printed in red and black, all by the author, 2pp. advertisements, Time Book Club book label to rear pastedown, some light spotting to half-titles and endpapers, light spotting to fore-edge, original pictorial cloth, shelf-lean, light toning and faint spotting to spine, spine ends and corners a little bumped, very small patch of fraying to lower edge, but a bright and excellent example overall, 8vo, 1937.

⁂ An unusually bright example of this landmark children's fantasy novel.

Estimate 6,000 GBP - 8,000 GBP

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auc ... utm_content=lot-view-link

Lot 213 - Tolkien (J.R.R.) [The Lord of the Rings], 3 vol., first editions, first impressions, fake signature in volume three

Tolkien (J.R.R.) [The Lord of the Rings], 3 vol., first editions, first impressions, folding map at end of each volume, "signed" J.R.R. Tolkien in an unknown hand, not that of the author, modern red calf, gilt, spines gilt in compartments with orange morocco labels, some light toning to spines, but generally excellent, 8vo, 1954-55.

⁂ Return of the King with signature mark '4' and text block sagging.

Estimate 3,000 GBP - 4,000 GBP

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auc ... utm_content=lot-view-link

HarperCollins has added the entire Tolkien line of books (including exclusives and Print on Demand titles) to their main website, with a dedicated landing page entitled The Official Tolkien Bookshop

WELCOME TO THE TOLKIEN ONLINE BOOK SHOP, brought to you by HarperCollins, J.R.R. Tolkien’s official publisher, selling signed and deluxe editions of Tolkien’s books, plus a fascinating and definitive collection of official titles written by and about one of the world’s most popular and successful authors.

I've asked for additional information from HarperCollins about their tolkien.co.uk domain plans as that hasn't been updated in ages.

In other related news, HarperCollins is having a 40% off sale across their entire site (now including all of the Tolkien books!) from April 29 through May 2. To activate the discount, just add the code BANKHOL40 at checkout. UK residents also get free delivery on all orders over £20. The Tolkien titles say "Available for International delivery" but the site also will not allow shipping outside of the UK - I have a query in to clarify. HarperCollins have confirmed that Tolkien books ordered from their website can only be shipped to the UK, Ireland, and Channel Islands.