The Tolkien Society
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit...
Published in 1937, these words introduced a new world, Middle-earth, to the reading public, they were written by J.R.R. Tolkien. 17 years later his epic work The Lord of the Rings was published to critical acclaim, the years that followed saw many people become fans of his work, many of whom wanted to know more about Middle-earth and its peoples.
In 1969 the Tolkien Society was founded, its aim being to further interest in the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien, CBE, the author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and other works of fiction and philological study. Based in the United Kingdom and registered as an independent, non-profit making charity, the Society boasts an international membership. The Tolkien Society is a Registered Charity (No. 273809) and a member of the Alliance of Literary Societies.
The Society helps to bring together those with like minds, both formally and informally, with gatherings throughout the year. There are three such events at a national level: an Annual General Meeting and Dinner, the Seminar and Oxonmoot. The AGM is held in the spring in a different town or city in the UK each year, at the AGM committee members are elected and the running of the Society is discussed whilst after the formal Dinner there is always a Guest Speaker, often someone who knew J.R.R. Tolkien, or a scholar and author on Tolkien's works. The second event, the Seminar, takes place in the summer at which a programme of talks are given on a Tolkien-related subject. These range from the serious to the light in tone and there is always something for everyone. The special event of the Tolkien Society year is Oxonmoot, held over a weekend in September in an Oxford College. There are a range of events such as talks, discussions, slide-shows and a costume party. It is a great time for learning more, having fun and making new friends.
The society produces two publications; the bulletin, Amon Hen, appears six times a year with Tolkien-related reviews, news, letters, artwork and articles, both humorous and serious. The annual journal, Mallorn, is more serious in nature with longer critical articles, reviews and essays.
Within the Society there are local groups spread throughout Britain and the world called Smials (after hobbit homes). Here both members and non-members can gather to discuss Tolkien's works, as well as other writers and topics. The formality and seriousness of meeting varies depending on the inclinations of members. There are also postal Smials for those who live far from a local group, with regular newsletters and occasional meetings. In addition to these there are also Special Interest Groups, covering topics such as collecting, biography and Tolkien's languages. For Young Members there is an active group, "Entings", which has its own section in the Society bulletin. We also maintain an extensive Lending Library and Archive, both of which are accessible to members.
The Society has a web-site which provides members and non-members with general information about itself and the world of Tolkien:
www.tolkiensociety.orgFor further details please write to:
The Secretary (RBk),
210 Prestbury Road,
CHELTENHAM GL52 3ER,
United Kingdom.