Return of the Ring

Celebrating Tolkien in 2012

Loughborough University

16th – 20th August 2010

The Tolkien Society would like to invite you to come and join us at this Tolkien Celebration in 2012.   In particular we would like to draw your attention to the following opportunities to contribute.
Undergraduates, postgraduates and early career researchers are particularly invited to apply for the Christine Davidson Memorial Lecture bursary. This prize will enable the award-holder to attend the full conference and deliver a lecture about his or her research in any field of Tolkien studies.

Research presentations in non-traditional formats will also be considered.
Applications are welcome from scholars, whether independent or affiliated, for whom attendance presents financial difficulty. Closing date: 15th January, 2012.
Enquiries should be sent to cdml@returnofthering.org
More details are available at http://returnofthering.org/cdml.php

Postgraduates are invited to take part in a symposium with leading academics on Friday, 17th August.
For details see www.returnofthering.org
Even if you don’t have research to present, you can still contribute – you could
•  Present a paper – our call for papers is online at www.returnofthering.org/cfp.php
•  Share your drama, music, poetry, art or fan-fiction or demonstrate skills or crafts – details at http://www.returnofthering.org/ncfp.php

We’re really interested in any ideas you have. If your contribution won’t fill an hour, we’d be delighted to group shorter items together to fill a session.   Closing date: 1st February, 2012
Or just come along for the conference. There will be papers and panels on all aspects of Tolkien studies, visual presentations, art, craft and performance workshops and interactive events. For your entertainment there’ll be a banquet, a costume masquerade, an art show and dealers’ room, and a troupe of medieval re-enactors will be joining us from France to set up a camp that recreates Middleearth.
The guests confirmed so far include Martin Barker, Janet Brennan Croft, Colin Duriez, Dimitra Fimi, Verlyn Flieger, Mike Foster, John Garth, Jef Murray, Ted Nasmith, Corey Olsen and Tom Shippey.

Prices until 1st December: Student registration for the full conference is £65, and for the one day symposium £40 with lunch (or free to those with student registration).
For all information and to register, visit our website www.returnofthering.org