Middle-earth meetings of this year

Conventions, conferences and more

A new year is here and it is time to list some of those outstanding events you should be looking for. This list is a work in progress and I invite you to let me know about your Tolkien-related event in your country, from your society, special interest group and/or other organisation so people out there know what is going on! Please shoot me an email at marcel(at)thetolkienist(dot)com with [name of event], [date of event], [location], [organiser], [URL] and a short summary on what to expect [5-6 lines will do] and I’ll add it to the list. Please feel free to use the commentaries’ option below to let me know what you are doing to spread the word on J.R.R. Tolkien’s life and works.

If you want to read more about events from all over the world in all shapes and sizes visit the International Tolkien Fellowship: List of Events Facebook group.

This list will include for now:

• Events taking place once only or annually as well as conferences and conventions.
• Regular meetings

Please find abbreviations used below. List as of January 3rd, 2014, 7 p.m. It is also available via SlideShare as a PDF for download and better viewing. Attention: I cannot guarantee any of the information and no judgment as to the quality of the events is given, particularly not with commercial events.

January

3rd. Tolkien Birthday Toast. Worldwide event. Raise your glass to the Professor. Link.

5th. Ted Nasmith Art Workshop. Budapest, Hungary. HTS. Link.

8th-February 12th. Discovering Middle-earth: The Hobbit. Bi-weekly courses offered by Istituto Filosofico Studi Tomistici, Modena, Italy. Link.
Streaming online available at tolkienlab.it. In cooperation with ArtS.

17-19th. Tolkien Con. Prague, Czech Republic. Weekend-long festivities in Middle-earth. Link.

19th. Tolkien’s Middle-earth tour. Birmingham, UK. Link.

24th-26th. Brainstorming Weekend. Germany. GTS. Volunteer meet-up. Link.

February

1st. Tolkien & the Arts. Champaign, IL, USA. Urbana Theological Seminary. Conference. Link.

15th – ??. Quenya Language Courses. Cultural Centre Donceles 66, Mexico City, Mexico. STM. Link to old courses’ website; new info asap.

7th-10th. Mar Vanwa Tyalièva. ATS. St. Georgen am Reith, Austria. ATS. Weekend get-together. Link.

March

25th. Tolkien Reading Day. Worldwide. TS. Link. [Downfall of Sauron; Feast of the Annunciation.]

April

5th-6th. Printemps des Légendes. Monthermé/Ardennes, FR.
Tolkiendil and Compagnie du Dragon Vert. Link. Link to Tolkiendil. Link to Compagnie dDV.

11th-13th. 11th Anniversary Party. Lithuania. LTS. Link.

11th-13th. Bombadil and Other Middle-earth Mysteries. 11th Annual Tolkien in Vermont Conference, USA. Link.

16th-19th. National Conference, Popular Culture Association, Chicago, USA. Link.
First time “Tolkien Studies” sessions. Link. For more information have a look at this sessions’ Facebook group.

19th-21th. HobbitCon. Bonn, Germany. Convention, emphasis on Hobbit film trilogy. Link.

May

1st-4th. Mereth Ethuil. Austria. ATS. Link. Weekend full of festivities.

8th-11. 49th Int. Congress on Medieval Studies. Western Michigan University, USA. Annual academic conference. Link. [Tolkien @ Kalamazoo group on Facebook.]

9th-11t. Tolkien Seminar: Nature and Landscape in Tolkien’s work. GTS. Annual academic conference. Link to Call for Papers, website tbd.

24th-25th. Festival des ELFIC. Close to Paris, FR. Tolkiendil. Link.

June

Tbd. Famer Giles of Ham. Birmingam Museums & Art Gallery, Sarehole Mill. Stage performance. Link.

20th-22nd. Slotfeest. Netherlands. TSU. Link. A weekend full of festivities.

July

7th-11th. Young Tolkienists’ Camp. Hungary. HTS. Link.

18th-20. Tolkien Thing. Castle Breuberg, Germany. GTS. Annual meeting with international guests. Link.

30th-3rd August.  Annual Summer Camp. Lithuania. LTS. Link.

31th-10th August. Great Summer Camp. Hungary. HTS. Link.

August

8th-10th. Bri’s 18th Anniversary Banquet. Denmark. Bri. Link to Facebook event page. A weekend full of festivities.

8th-11th. MythCon 45. Wheaton College, MA, USA. MythSoc. Annual meeting and conference. Link.

September

11th-14th. Oxonmoot. Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, UK. TS. Annual meeting; many international visitors attending; at an Oxford college. Link.

19th-21st. Lasse Lanta. Austria. ATS. Link. Weekend full of festivities.

22nd. Bilbo and Frodo’s Birthday. Celebrate!

24th-28th. ALEP 3. Shaker Village, KY, USA. Middle-earth Weekend full of festivities. Link.

Tbd. Hobbiton. ITS. Annual fair and conference. Link.

October

17th-19th. Ring*Con. Bonn, Germany. Fantasy Film & Literature Convention. Link.

November

6-7. Tolkien Conference: Worlds made of Heroes. University of Porto, Portugal. Link.

December

Regular meetings

New York City area, USA. NYC Area Friends of JRR Tolkien & Fantasy. Link.

Longmont, Colorado, USA. Grey Havens Group. Link.

Abbreviations

ArtS = L’Associazione romana studi Tolkieniani (Roman Association of Tolkien Studies). www.jrrtolkien.it.

ATS = Austrian Tolkien Society. www.oetg.org.

Bri = Bri – the Copenhague Tolkien Society. www.bri.dk.

GTS = German Tolkien Society. www.tolkiengesellschaft.de.

HTS = Hungarian Tolkien Society. www.tolkien.hu.

ITS = Italian Tolkien Society. www.tolkien.it.

MythSoc = Mythopoeic Society, USA. www.mythsoc.org.

STM = Sociedad Tolkiendili de Mexico. www.tolkiendili.org.mx.

TS = Tolkien Society, United Kingdom. www.tolkiensociety.org.

TSU = Tolkien Society Unquendor, Netherland. www.unquendor.nl.

Thanks

I would like to express my thanks for the individuals, societies, special interest groups and so who so kindly provided me with this information. This list will be updated regularly and I hope it will be of some use to you – to find those fellow Tolkiendili, Tolkienists, Tolkien fans, enthusiasts and friends in your neighbourhood!

Marcel Aubron-Bülles