Tolkien Gleanings #189.
* Another overlooked early review of Tolkien, found. Douglas A. Anderson writes in his Tolkien and Fantasy blog that…
“The fact that Richard Adams, author of Watership Down, was one of the first reviewers of The Silmarillion on its publication in 1977, seems to have long escaped Tolkienists, and Tolkien bibliographers.”
* Finland will host John Howe’s first Finnish art exhibition in the summer… “Especially known for his artwork portraying J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy worlds, Howe’s art exhibition will be open at Tampere Hall from 6th July to 18th August 2024.”
* Birmingham’s annual Tolkien lecture seems to be on hiatus or moved (the last was May 2023, with no sign of a 2024 event so far). But the University of Oxford fills the gap, as they announce “Neil Gaiman to Deliver the 2024 Tolkien Lecture”… “The lecture will take place on Wednesday, 12th June 6pm BST at Oxford Town Hall. Tickets will be released on Wednesday, 1st May at 12pm.” The Town Hall only has 500 capacity, according to the local Council which appears to run it. So you’ll have to be quick, though it’ll also be posted on YouTube. Hopefully they’ll state very clearly: “audience questions about the books only, please, no TV / games / movies”.
* A podcast interview I think I missed back in January 2024, an Anselm Society Interview with Austin M. Freeman on Tolkien and theology.
* At Oxford, one of those very expensive short summer-school courses. This one on “The Making of Middle-earth: Tolkien and the First Age”. Application deadline 1st May 2024.
* And finally, more Oxford. In the 2024 Update of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (DNB) one Christopher Tolkien has been added… “Tolkien, Christopher Reuel (1924–2020), literary scholar and editor [see under Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel]”.
The Spyders of Burslem 