Celebrate Tolkien Reading Day!
What is Tolkien Reading Day?
Tolkien Reading Day is held on the 25th of March each year.
It has been organized by the Tolkien Society since 2003 to encourage fans to celebrate and promote the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien by reading favorite passages. We particularly encourage schools, museums and libraries to host their own Tolkien Reading Day events.
Theme
The theme for Tolkien Reading Day 2016 is life, death and immortality.The theme was chosen for 2016 to coincide with the one-hundredth anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. Tolkien fought and survived this dreadful battle, but lost his close friend and fellow T.C.B.S. member Rob Gilson. With the death of G.B. Smith later that year, the First World War undoubtedly shaped Tolkien’s outlook on life and death, with mortality and immortality looming large in the Middle-earth legendarium.Why 25 March?
The 25th of March is the date of the downfall of the Lord of the Rings (Sauron) and the fall of Barad-dûr. It’s as simple as that!
History
Tolkien Reading Day began following an enquiry from Sean Kirst, a columnist of the The Post-Standard (a paper local to Syracuse, New York), in January 2002:
My grandparents were fishing folk from Buckie in the north of Scotland, carriers of the old stories and legends, and the trilogy has filled a certain hole in my life. I have many friends here in New York who were equally moved by the book, reignited by the film, and we all wondered: is there any day devoted informally to readings from the trilogy, in the way that “Bloomsday” is devoted to Joyce?
The committee liked the idea so much that they choose 25 March 2003 to be the first “Tolkien Reading Day”, and the rest, as they say, is history!
What will you be reading?
Let us know what you’ll be reading in the comments below or on Twitter using the hashtag #TolkienReadingDay
Check your local library and book stores for events celebrating Tolkien on his day.
Thank you to the following for sharing about Tolkien Reading Day, and check them out for more information on Tolkien and his works.
LOTR Project
The Tolkienest
The One Ring
Hobbit Feet
Tolkien Society
National Day Calendar
Happy Reading!
Check your local library and book stores for events celebrating Tolkien on his day.
Thank you to the following for sharing about Tolkien Reading Day, and check them out for more information on Tolkien and his works.
LOTR Project
The Tolkienest
The One Ring
Hobbit Feet
Tolkien Society
National Day Calendar
Happy Reading!
(All posts may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.)
No comments:
Post a Comment