Journey deep into Tolkien’s imagination, from The Lord of the Ring's mythic roots to modern adaptations. Followed by Q&A.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic tales of Middle-earth are a cultural phenomenon, still growing fifty years after his death. Join us to meet the man behind a whole mythology and follow in his footsteps as he creates The Lord of the Rings. We’ll discover the young love, the deep friendships and the tragic sorrows that helped forge his ideas. And we’ll dive into his immense imagination to explore the fundamentals of his world of elves and hobbits, dragons and Dark Lords.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7.30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

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John Garth is a journalist and author of the acclaimed biographical Tolkien and the Great War, winner of the Mythopoeic Award for Scholarship 2004, and was Fellow in Humanistic Studies for 2015–16 at the Black Mountain Institute, University of Las Vegas, Nevada. Other writings include the definitive study of Tolkien's undergraduate life, Tolkien at Exeter College, nominated for the same award in 2015.

He speaks regularly on Tolkien and related topics, in person and on air. John has also taught full-length and short courses on Tolkien for Oxford University’s Department for Continuing Education, for UNLV, and online for the Mythgard Institute at Signum University.

Testimonials from our guests

⭐ Truly riveting talks, always enjoy these - a great way to spend an evening with some pals. Already looking forward to the next one. - Alexander P

⭐ Expertly run, talks are always super informative and a lot of fun! Couldn’t recommend these enough! 5 star. - Owen S

⭐ Been to a few talks and all have been super interesting. An enjoyable evening to go to either alone or with friends. The talks make for stimulating conversation. Highly recommend! - Daisy J

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