Tolkien Scholarship

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Expanded Edition)

Edited by Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien

You can’t get very far into Tolkien scholarship without seeing a reference to one or more of his letters. The original edition (1981) afforded a great opportunity for scholars to better understand Tolkien’s thoughts about his own writing, the creative process, his personal life, his professional pursuits, and even his ideas about society and culture. The expanded edition (2023) builds on that body of correspondence by providing more letters and even restoring the text of some letters that were truncated in the first edition.

The Lord of the Rings: A Reader’s Companion

By Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull

This guide provides notes and annotations to The Lord of the Rings and is designed to be referenced alongside the novel as a way to learn about various aspects of Tolkien’s tale. Annotations are provided with page numbers (to both current and older editions) to allow easy reference, and they provide notes also on the maps, prefatory materials, and even the original dust jacket! This is a great first step into the larger world of scholarship specifically on Tolkien’s legendarium.

The Annotated Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien, with annotations by Douglas A. Anderson

This book includes the text of The Hobbit (2nd edition) along with a wealth of marginal notes, images, and citations assembled by Douglas A. Anderson. Learn how Tolkien changed the story over time, find out how translators dealt with various concepts, and see illustrations from different editions of the tale around the world. An appendix provides “The Quest for Erebor,” a retelling of ,The Hobbit that Tolkien wrote years later from Gandalf’s point of view.

Tolkien: On Fairy-stories

by J.R.R. Tolkien, with commentary and notes by Verlyn Flieger & Douglas A. Anderson

Tolkien gave his most popular essay, “On Fairy-stories,” as an address in March 1939. He later revised it and published it as an essay. In this critical edition, Verlyn Flieger and Doug Anderson provide the final text, along with an earlier versions, publication history, and analysis of how Tolkien’s ideas about fairy-stories evolved over time. This essay offers much insight into Tolkien’s conception of fairy tales, the creative process (including “sub-creation”), and the effects of recovery, escape, and consolation offered by fantasy literature.

The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays

by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien

Tolkien produced many addresses, lectures, and essays on literature and language throughout his academic career. This volume collects some of his most well-known essays, including two on Beowulf (“Beowulf and the Critics” and “On Translating Beowulf”), a lecture on “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” “On Fairy-stories” (see above), two on language (“Welsh and English” and “A Secret Vice”), and his “Valedictory Address” on the symbiotic relationship between language and literature. There’s no better volume for getting a broad overview of Tolkien’s academic thoughts.

The Road to Middle-earth: How J.R.R. Tolkien Created a New Mythology

by Tom Shippey

First published in 1982, this is one of the first book-length analyses of Tolkien’s stories from the perspective of Tolkien’s philological (language studies) work. It looks at the development of Tolkien’s legendarium—including The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion—through the lens of his love for languages and the creation of constructed languages as the basis for his stories. It also looks at many of Tolkien’s source materials, including Beowulf and the Kalevala through Arthurian romances and English folk songs. Some people still consider this work and it’s later revisions (most recently in 2003) to be one of the best pieces of Tolkien scholarship ever.

J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century

by Tom Shippey

Shippey makes a convincing argument that Tolkien is “the author of the (20th) century” in this literary analysis. In particular, he argues that the fantasy genre was the “dominant mode” of literature in that century, and The Lord of the Rings stands far above the rest of the stories in that genre in terms of its literary merit and cultural impact. Published in 2000, this argument has paved the way for much of Tolkien studies since then, including counter analysis that looks at some of the problematic aspects of Tolkien’s works.

Tolkien And The Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth

by John Garth

Perhaps the most profound study of Tolkien’s life and experiences, this book is part history and part literary analysis. It offers an in-depth investigation of how World War I affected Tolkien’s life, and its impact on his literary work for years later. Told in an engaging narrative style, this book is a masterful feat of scholarship that pulls together historical and literary sources to demonstrate how Tolkien’s creative work was not incidental to the time and places in which he found himself, but how his story of hope and heroic virtue is just as much a response to a new era of worldwide conflict as other authors who dabbled in nihilism and despair.

Tolkien at Exeter College: How an Oxford undergraduate created Middle-earth

by John Garth

Perhaps the most profound study of Tolkien’s life and experiences, this book is part history and part literary analysis. It offers an in-depth investigation of how World War I affected Tolkien’s life, and its impact on his literary work. Told in an engaging narrative style, this book is a masterful feat of scholarship that pulls together historical and literary sources to demonstrate how Tolkien’s creative work was not incidental to the time and places in which he found himself, but how his story of hope and heroic virtue is just as much a response to a new era of worldwide conflict as other authors who dabbled in nihilism and despair.

Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits

by Dimitra Fimi

Tolkien’s stries are rooted in the cultural and social constructs of both the primary (or “real”) world, as well as his own secondary world. In this book, Dimitra Fimi examines the folkloric, linguistic, and historical perspectives to which Tolkien was exposed, and she shows how Tolkien incorporated and adapted those ideas into his Middle-earth legendarium. This is a must-read for those who are looking to engage with cultural interpretations (and criticisms) of Tolkien’s work, which have become more and more popular in recent years.

Tolkien Studies: An Annual Scholarly Review

edited by David Bratman, Michael D. C. Drout, and Verlyn Flieger

Started in 2004, Tolkien Studies is the premier—though by no means the only—source of new scholarship on Tolkien’s life and works. Each issue includes long essays on specific Tolkien works, shorter academic notes, and a review of Tolkien works and scholarship published elsewhere in the preceding year. Because it is aimed at a scholarly audience, subscriptions are fairly expensive for individuals, but it is carried by many university libraries, and it is accessible via Project Muse. (Volume 1 from 2004 is available digitally for free.)

Mallorn: The Journal of the Tolkien Society

edited by Luke Shelton

Published by The Tolkien Society, Mallorn is a annual peer-reviewed journal published since 1970. While the latest volumes are available only to members of The Tolkien Society, back-issues older than two years are freely available online via the Tolkien Society’s website. Each issue contains a variety of editorials, scholarly articles, shorter research notes, and reviews.

Mythlore: A Journal of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Mythopoeic Literature

edited by Janet Brennan Croft

Although not specific to Tolkien, as the subtitle indicates, Mythlore includes many articles about Tolkien individually, as well as his interactions with other members of the Inklings and “mythopoeic” literature in general. It is a free, open access journal, meaning that you can access its many articles online without cost. They also have an affordable paper subscription option. Mythlore currently has two issues per year (one for Spring/Summer and another for Fall/Winter), and it sometimes assembles special theme issues focusing on a specific author or literary genre.

Tolkien Studies Concentration at Signum University

Signum University offers the only concentrated set of courses to help someone along their journey to becoming a Tolkien scholar. Their list of courses includes more than a dozen classes on Tolkien’s work, life, and cultural impact. You can take the classes for credit in their Master of Arts (MA) or certificate programs, or you can audit them for the joy of learning. 

Mythgard Academy

Mythgard Academy, sponsored by the Mythgard Institute, is an ongoing series of discussions about speculative and classic literature. While these are more like a book club than college classes, Dr. Corey Olsen dives deeply into the text and shares insights from scholarly studies of the works All sessions are free to join, and they are recorded and posted to YouTube. Among the selections are series on The Lord of the Rings, Unfinished Tales, and most of The History of Middle-earth series – as well as other fantasy and science fiction stories.

The World of J.R.R. Tolkien by Dimitra Fimi

The Great Courses produces high-quality commercial classes on a wide variety of topics. One such course is “The World of J.R.R. Tolkien” by Dr. Dimitra Fimi. The course is 10 lectures long, and it covers all of the material one would expect to find in a solid introductory course on Tolkien’s work and legacy. A breakdown of the course is provided on her website at the link above.

Oxonmoot

On the weekend nearest to Sept. 22 (Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday), The Tolkien Society gathers for Oxonmoot. Held at Oxford since 1991, and else where before that, Oxonmoot includes both scholarly and fan engagement for society members and friends to discuss Tolkien. Each year, the event concludes on Sunday with a visit to Tolkien’s grave.

Tolkien Society Seminar

The Tolkien Society Seminar is a one-day (sometimes two) affair. In recent years there have been more than one seminar each year, though that is not always the case. In 2020, the seminar went online, and they have had an online option ever since. Recorded presentations are posted to the Tolkien Society’s YouTube channel, and proceedings are published as part of the Peter Roe Memorial Fund.

New York Tolkien Conference

Started in 2015, the New York Tolkien Conference is a periodic (i.e., not every year) conference hosted in New York City. In March 2019, conveners collaborated with the Morgan Library & Museum to host a symposium in conjunction with the “Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth” exhibit. 

Mythmoot

Organized by Signum University, Mythmoot is an annual conference focusing on speculative literature held at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, VA (most years). While it’s not solely focused on Tolkien, there is often a Tolkien-specific presentation track. As with many conferences, it has offered an online “MootHub” component since 2020. In addition to academic presentations, the conference features an opening-night trivia contest, a masquerade ball, and gaming streams, among other social activities. It also includes the annual Signum University graduation ceremony.

Signum University Regional Moots

In addition to its annual Mythmoot conference, Signum University sponsors regional gatherings (“moots”) in the U.S. and around the world. Regional moots are coordinated by local organizers, and they often include activities tied to the area where the moot is located. Like Mythmoot, regional moots are not specific to Tolkien, but many Tolkien scholars present papers, panels, and other discussions at these events.

The Tolkien Society

The main objective of The Tolkien Society is “to educate the public in, and promote research into, the life and works of Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.” As noted above, they sponsor conferences and an academic journal. They also present awards for Tolkien-related scholarship, artwork, and online contributions like podcasts and websites. They have local branches (called “Smials”) scattered around the world where people can meet with other society members to discuss Tolkien.

The Mythopoeic Society

The Mythopoeic Society is dedicated to promoting, discussing, and enjoying fantastic and “mythopoeic” (“mythmaking”) literature. They particularly focus on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams – the most well known members of the Inklings writing group at Oxford – but they frequently consider the works of other authors as well. In addition to the conference and journals mentioned above, they have a membership newsletter and they sponsor both literary and scholarly awards in several areas.

Digital Tolkien Project

The goals of the Digital Tolkien Project include providing “computational and philological support for Tolkien studies” through open scholarship, collaboration, and the use of digital humanities tools and methods. The project has grown from its initial Search Tolkien, which allows searching of a number of Tolkien’s works, and now includes a glossary, citation index, poetry index, and data from The Rings of Power series, among other things.