The One hundred and fourteenth Roving Ranger
Have a look at all Roving Rangers published so far. (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)
Life and Works
Nov 15, 1892. Arthur (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), Mabel (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), two household servants, and the nurse holding Ronald pose for a picture in the garden at Bank House. The photograph is used in Tolkien Christmas cards sent to family and friends. The image is reproduced in J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) and The Tolkien Family Album (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).
Nov 16, 1917. The Tolkiens’ first child is born, John (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).
Nov 18, 1916. The Battle of the Somme (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) ends. Neither side wins. Tolkien is officially stricken off as a casualty by his battalion.
Nov 19, 1913. The Exeter College Smoker (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) happens, with an illustration by Tolkien.
Nov 21, 1924. Christopher (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) is born.
Nov 22, 1962. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) are published.
Nov 24, 1964. Robert Graves, Oxford's Professor of Poetry, introduces Tolkien to Ava Gardner (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). They had never heard of one another, and both did not know why the other was famous.
Nov 25, 1951. Tolkien writes a letter to Iona and Peter Opie (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).
Nov 26, 1963. Tolkien, Dundas-Grant (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), Havard (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), Barfield (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) and Christopher attend the funeral of C.S. Lewis (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).
Nov 27, 1914. Tolkien reads The Voyage of Eärendel the Evening Star (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) at a poorly attended meeting of Exeter College (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)'s Essay Club.
Nov 29, 1971. Edith Tolkien (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) dies after a short but severe illness.
Both Parma Eldalamberon 23 and 22 are now available with Barnes & Noble (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).
The Eagle & Child (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) in Oxford is one of the places with a strong Tolkien connection; renovations are happening as we speak. [Oxford Mail]
The Folio Society is doing another limited edition, this time on the Hobbit (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).
If you feel like buying the The Tolkien - Donald Swann Archive you should have more than half a million pounds (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) at the ready.
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Events & Shows
The Christopher Tolkien Centenary Conference (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [Nov 23-24; full programme (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)]
The Koninklijke Oude Harmonie van Eijsden (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) will do a jubilee concert in Maastricht, including parts of Johan de Meji’s Lord of the Rings symphony. [Instagram]
Waynesville’s Lord of the Rings Festival Brings Middle-Earth To Ohio (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [Columbus Navigator]
Philippa Boyens will be at Merton College in Oxford (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).
The Lure of Middle-earth (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) has a very special guest for its 25th Anniversary (March 2025): Ted Nasmith.
For all events check out the International Tolkien Fellowship (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [FB] and the Tolkien Guide Calendar (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).
Scholarship & Fandom
Robin Reid has Queen Berúthiel is a Childless Cat Lady! (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)
An obituary of Greg Hildebrandt (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), legendary illustrator [also Legacy (Öffnet in neuem Fenster); Hollywood Reporter (Öffnet in neuem Fenster); Locus (Öffnet in neuem Fenster); PPP interview (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)]
Call for Papers: Tolkien & War (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [via Anna Smol; h/t Tolkien in Vermont]
Putri Prihatini has Rivendell and Śrīksetra Garden: A Tale of Two Sanctuaries. (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)
In a recent edition of GEO (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) in France statements were made on behalf of French publishing house Christian Bourgeois Éditeur (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) that more or less negated twenty years of work leading scholar Vincent Ferré has put into making Tolkien in France possible. He has written a public rebuttal (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) of this; legal proceedings are ongoing as the changes of ownership (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) of the publishing house in recent years has been causing issues. There is a petition (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) with Avaaz to show your solidarity with Vincent Ferré, signed by leading French Tolkien scholars.
Gabriel Schenk has C.S. Lewis in Addison's Walk.
https://youtu.be/MB195JszDbA?si=BEUkgnexBTO5w8t2 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)Dennis Wilson Wise has “The New Poets of Rum-Ram-Ruf: The Norse Connection and JRR Tolkien (Part I+II - The Career) (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)” as well as parts III (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) (the Skald) and IV (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) (The Hitches) [Stratofanatic]
Thus Tolkien is the ultimate model, the undisputed Lord of Alliterative Meters. The one person in whom technical skill and scholarly erudition have combined with sheer productivity to yield an astounding corpus of modern poetry in old, archaic alliterative traditions. [Stratofanatic]
The Literary Review has We Shall Fight in the Buttery (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [Oxford’s War 1939–1945], a book certainly mentioning Tolkien.
doubtfulsea has Paleo-Tolkien (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).
Get your Beyond Bree Calendar (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) for 2025 as long as they are still available.
One of the leading artists with Tolkien-inspired renditions, Donato Giancola, has some very choice words to say: MTG Artist Donato Giancola Reveals Wizards’ “Take It Or Leave It” Contract Policy (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). [DraftsIM]
Kili from Happy Hobbit (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) has talked to some Tolkien artists at NYCC. [TORn]
I am counting his visit to Oxford as a ‘fandom tour’: A Stop at Oxford (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [Not a Blog by GRRM]
David Bratman has a review of Fantasy: Realms of Imagination (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).
Merchandise & Franchise
Games Workshop is ramping up its pre-War of the Rohirrim product line (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) , including people like Shank, Wrot and the Snow-Troll (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).
Fellowship: Tolkien & Lewis (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), the film, is set for Winter 2025.
A number of guild screenings are happening for LotR: WotR (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). [WarnerBros]
Also, a song from the film with scenes included has been published: The Rider (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) by Paris Paloma [Youtube]
‘Lord Of The Rings’ Owner Embracer Sees Entertainment Sales Fall 10% In “Slow” Quarter (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [Deadline; ‘Tolkien IP’ is blamed (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) (Variety)]
Inter alia & Back in the Day
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett to become a Penguin Modern Classic (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [TP.com]
Tad Williams’ new book, The Navigator’s Children, has come out Nov 12th (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).
Jeri Taylor has passed away (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [StarTrek.com; Legacy (Öffnet in neuem Fenster); TrekMovie.com (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)]
The NFL does have its share of fans of movie Aragorn (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). [Athlon Sports]
After more than twenty years… WoW offers housing (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). [Youtube]
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