Tolkien 50th Anniversary Seminar Series: Michael Ward – ‘Peak Middle-earth: Why Mount Doom is not the Climax of The Lord of the Rings’
A weekly series of free talks by Oxford staff to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of J. R. R. Tolkien
Wednesdays 11th, 18th October & 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd November, 1.00-2.00pm

Exeter College’s Cohen Quad, Walton Street OX1 2HE
A series of free seminars to commemorate the death of J. R. R. Tolkien. The seminars are free to attend and open to the public but Registration is required to manage numbers. The talks will present an introduction and further background to Tolkien’s life, work, and legacy. They are aimed at those who have read Tolkien’s work but are interested in gaining a bit more insight into his life, career, and writings.

The presentations will be held in the Fitzhugh Auditorium (unless stated otherwise) from 1.00-2.00pm. Fitzhugh is situated in Exeter College’s new Cohen Quad on Walton Street in Oxford. Exeter College providing a perfect venue as it was Tolkien’s undergraduate college.

11th October: Stuart Lee – ‘How to write The Lord of the Rings’

18th October: Michael Ward – ‘Peak Middle-earth: Why Mount Doom is not the Climax of The Lord of the Rings’

25th October: HALF-TERM

1st November: Giuseppe Pezzini – ‘Tolkien and the Classics’ [Venue TBC]

8th November: Grace Khuri – ‘A Heroic History of the Elves: Tolkien’s “lost” Mythology of England?

15th November: Laura Varnam – ‘Tolkien and Beowulf’

22nd November: Simon Horobin – ‘J.R.R. Tolkien: The Making of a Philologist’

Please note that registration is essential and you can book for on for all of the seminars at: Registration Form: forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkf7KCrbE-jxLiDXh4gtlG2dUMjlMRUowRVRSSTNRNUUzRktTRTFVN1pSNS4u
Date: 18 October 2023, 13:00 (Wednesday, 2nd week, Michaelmas 2023)
Venue: Exeter College, Turl Street OX1 3DP
Venue Details: Cohen Quad
Speaker: Dr Michael Ward (University of Oxford, Faculty of Theology and Religion)
Organiser: Stuart Lee (Exeter College)
Booking required?: Required
Booking url: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkf7KCrbE-jxLiDXh4gtlG2dUMjlMRUowRVRSSTNRNUUzRktTRTFVN1pSNS4u
Audience: Members of the University only
Editors: Katy Terry, Hope Lukonyomoi-Otunnu