Tolkien 2005 Update

[Hilary]

Hello everyone!

Sorry to have been remiss in stopping by. I did go to England in August, in part to attend "Tolkien 2005"
(held at Aston University in Birmingham), sponsored by the Tolkien Society, to honor the 50th anniversary of the publication of "Lord of the Rings". For those who were at Marquette, Zauber went as well,
so I had a friend to journey with!

Those of us who made it to Marquette University's marvelous conference last October have some idea what my experience was like. However, I think they capped Marquette's attendance at ˜250.
Attendance at Aston was somewhere around 750!

There was a very international feeling, with people attending from as far as Africa, Iceland, and practically every country in the world! Many of the same fine Tolkien scholars we saw at Marquette were also at Aston, notably: Tom Shippey, Verlyn Flieger, John
Garth, Gary Hunnewell, Mike Foster, David Bratman (thankfully, NOT Jane Chance!), along with countless others who presented papers and participated in panel discussions.

Ted Nasmith and Alan Lee were also in attendance (John Howe was unable to attend due to work commitments). Alan's new sketchbook (with material from his work on the films) was available...matter of
fact, his presentation had such a turnout, that the stewards had to shut people out, as the room could only accommodate ˜150 people. Alan was very gracious, and repeated his presentation on Sunday afternoon to give the people who missed out a chance. [By the way,
his sketchbook is being release here in the US in October, and he will be doing a speaking/signing tour. I saw him last December here in Philly, and would recommend seeing him if you have any interest
in his works].

We also were able to go on the tours of Birmingham (1/2 day) and Oxford (full day) that the Tolkien Society sponsored. I'll upload some pictures to an album here once I figure out how to work it!

I did enjoy the conference, but if I had to compare it to Marquette, I'd have to say that the latter was my favorite (only in part because many of us were able to meet!) The size and scale of Tolkien 2005 was understandably much larger than Marquette, with 3-4
events taking place at the same time. This lead to having to choose between events, and as a result, missing out on some things. On the days we went on the tours we missed Verlyn Flieger, Mike Foster,
Patrick Curry and Rhona Beare. Yet we really enjoyed the tour (some of the pictures will be in the album).

I only saw one person I recognized from Marquette (Jan Boom, from the Dutch Tolkien Society), but we met lots of Tolkien fans from all over: UK [naturally], Germany, Finland, Italy, Netherlands and Canada [we actually ran into these folks again in Shrewsbury; they were also Cadfael fans]. It was a wonderful experience, and I'm so glad I went, but it lacked the intimacy that Marquette afforded.

However, every summer the Tolkien Society has a "Tolkien Weekend". I think the quality is present without the overwhelming size, so if anyone is planning to go to the UK, I think you'd enjoy attending.


Sorry to have rambled on so long!


Hilary

[Stormrider]

Hilary:

It is good to here from you. I was wondering how your trip had gone. It is wonderful that there were so many Tolkien fans there! Too bad there were so many papers given at the same time. It must have been difficult to chose which to listen to!

We would love to see your pictures. Did you get pictures of you and Zauber at some of Tolkien's favorite places?

If you go to the Tolkien's Ring Members Photo Album at this link: photobucket.com/albums/v230/TRmembers/ (password is: tolkienrules), I have set up an album called "Tolkien 2005". You can post your pictures there and we can either all go there and look at them, or you can post the link to each picture here on this thread. You will see the links underneath each picture after you post it to the album.

I think it would be easiest to just post the pictures in the album and let us know they are there so that we can go look at them.

[Hilary]

Thanks, Stormrider! I got the pictures posted. Just to give a little more info about them:

Bird and Baby is, of course, the "Eagle and Child" pub, where Tolkien and his fellow Inklings met to talk, drink, and read each other's works. The marker on the wall commemorates this.

Merton College is where Tolkien served as Merton Professor of English Language and Literature, from 1945.

The Old Forest is located in the Shire Country Park, in Birmingham. Tolkien played there with his little brother as a boy, and it is believed to have inspired the Old Forest outside Hobbiton.

The Misty Mountains are located near the country retreat where Tolkien's mother, Mabel, was sent in an attempt to ease her diabetes. (This was a time before insulin, when the only hope was taking the "country air".) They are believed to have inspired their namesakes in LotR.

Prof. Tolkien and his wife, Edith, are buried together in Wolvercote Cemetary, outside Oxford. There are many flowers planted about the grave, with a large rosemary shrub planted at the foot.

[Desi Baggins]

It sounds like an interesting trip. It must be great to have been places J.R.R.T has been! Great pictures!

[Stormrider]

Alan's new sketchbook (with material from his work on the films) was available...[By the way,
his sketchbook is being release here in the US in October, and he will be doing a speaking/signing tour. I saw him last December here in Philly, and would recommend seeing him if you have any interest
in his works].

I thought Alan Lee had done a tour last year at some of the Borders Book Stores. I wonder if he will do the same again with his sketchbook tour. I hope he would consider a stop here in Rockford because I would love to meet him!

Loved the pictures. You used black and white film!

[Hilary]

Stormrider:

Glad you liked the pictures. I shot several rolls of black & white film; thought it would be more atmospheric. By the way, I found a tour schedule for Alan Lee on the Hougton Mifflin site. Unfortunately, it doesn't even look like he's going to Chicago, let alone Rockford. Perhaps they will add more dates!



2005 Tour Schedule

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK
Books of Wonder — Saturday, October 22, 12:00 p.m.

PHILADELPHIA
Friends Select School — Monday, October 24, 7:00 p.m.
(Sponsored by Joseph Fox Bookshop)

ATLANTA
Chapter 11, Peachtree Battle — Tuesday, October 25, 7:00 p.m.

AUSTIN
BookPeople — Wednesday, October 26, 7:00 p.m.

DENVER
Tattered Cover, LoDo — Thursday, October 27, 7:30 p.m.

SALT LAKE CITY
Borders Books, Murray — Friday, October 28, 7:00 p.m.

SAN FRANCISCO
Book Passage, Corte Madera — Saturday, October 29, 7:00 p.m.
The Booksmith — Sunday, October 30, 2:00 p.m.

SEATTLE
University Bookstore — Monday, October 31, 7:00 p.m.

PORTLAND
Powell's Books, Beaverton — Tuesday, November 1, 7:00 p.m.

www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/booksellers/press_release/lee/#tour

[Stormrider]

That is a very nice looking book! I wouldn't mind having that!

I certainly hope that more cities are added to his tour and that one of them is closer to us. I will definately keep watching this site periodically. I see that many different book stores are involved in this tour. Perhaps I can suggest it to our local Borders store and give them the link to Houghlin Mifflin.

[Stormrider]

Hilary:

I am glad that you had mentioned Alan Lee's new LOTR Sketchbook in this thread. I remembered we had discussed this and when I went to the Movie Prop Exhibit in Indianapolis, I saw the book for sale in the gift shop and snatched it up!