Around two years ago I was browsing online on a typical Saturday evening, and I came across an intriguing post on the Tolkien Collector’s Guide forum, dated September 2019. Someone was asking for a copy of a book entitled: Das erste Jahrzehnt 1977–1987: Ein Almanach, or The First Decade 1977–1987: An Almanac, produced by Klett-Cotta, a German publishing company. In it, so the post claimed, was a copy of a poem written by Tolkien entitled ‘The Complaint of Mim the Dwarf’. And while the replies that followed the original post were helpful in tracking down a copy of the almanac, no other informat ..read more

Well, it’s that exciting time again when I can announce the release of a new publication! I’m super thrilled to be able to share with all of you Anarchy for the Innocents, which I’ve been working on for the past few months, and was in fact one of the reasons for not being too active here on this blog. It’s been an amazing journey writing this book and I really look forward to your feedback about the work, and sharing your own ideas and opinions on the subject. But I’ll let the video explain how this book came to be. In essence, Anarchy for the Innocents is a collection of poems representing ..read more

Hey all! I’m super excited to report that a great number of people have backed up my Kickstarter campaign for the publication of a special hardback edition of Hæstingas: A retelling of the valiant fall of England in verse. The book is a historical fantasy, 4,000-line epic poem set during one of the most turbulent times in English history. We’re only 5 days away from the end of the campaign. So if you wish to back this project, now’s the time to do so Copies of the paperback edition of Hæstingas are still available from Amazon.com and Amazon UK. Till next ti ..read more

Hey everyone! We’ve hit the 1k subscribers mark on YouTube and, to celebrate that, here’s a video with an overview of my Tolkien book collection. Enjoy ..read more

Hey folks! Back again from the shadows I hope you’re all sage and are having a good start to the new year. Just dropping by for a quick shout-out to a Kickstarter campaign just launched. As many followers of this blog may know, I wrote a book back in November 2019: Hæstingas: A retelling of the valiant fall of England in verse. The book, a historical fantasy, 4,000-line epic poem set during one of the most turbulent times in English history, is now getting the Special Edition Hardcover treatment! If you have an interest in Anglo-Saxon history, are a fantasy reader and love to odd-bit o’ poet ..read more

Here it is … the unboxing of the latest Tolkien publication. Commemorating the 40th anniversary since the release of Unfinished Tales in 1980, we now have two gorgeous editions featuring 18 new paintings from Alan Lee, John Howe and Ted Nasmith, together with beautiful renditions of the maps of Beleriand and Middle-earth, and other features. Still have questions about these editions? Ask away! Till next time ..read more

Hello again everyone! I seem to be back Although “back” is rather misleading. I was always “here”, both figuratively and literally. Following my ‘Farewell‘ post some eight months back, I kept visiting the blog and ensuring I replied to any new comments popping up every now and then on any posts. Well, well … what can I say that others have surely expressed themselves more vividly and succinctly than I ever will. It’s been one tough ride for humanity and it seems we’re in for a bit of a long haul. Until then, keep yourselves and your loved ones safe. As Gandalf says to Bilbo: “”All in goo ..read more

Photo by Charles E. Noad For a number of years I used to think what would happen once the son and literary heir of J.R.R Tolkien would be with us no more. I questioned what would that mean to the Tolkien community, whether the experience of reading the books would change, and what would it mean for future scholarly work and publications. Truth be told, none of these thoughts passed through my mind on January 16, 2020 when the news first broke that Christopher Tolkien had passed away. What DID come to mind was a sense of sadness, but acceptance — acceptance of the fact that Time is what it is ..read more

A ..read more