Twenty-First-Century Tolkien: What Middle Earth Means to Us Today – Prof. Nick Groom

Prof. Nick Groom delivered a fascinating, wide-ranging and thoroughly engaging talk, shining new light on Tolkien’s visionary writing, cultural legacy and abiding relevance.

What is it about Middle-Earth and its inhabitants that has captured the imagination of millions of people around the world? And why does Tolkien’s visionary creation continue to fascinate and inspire us eighty-five years on from its first appearance?

Beginning with Tolkien’s earliest influences and drawing on key moments from his life, Twenty-First-Century Tolkien is an engaging and radical reinterpretation of the beloved author’s work. Not only does it trace the genesis of the original books, it also explores the later adaptations and reworkings that cemented his reputation as a cultural phenomenon, including Peter Jackson’s blockbuster films of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and the TV series The Rings of Power.

Delving deep into topics such as friendship, failure, the environment, diversity, and Tolkien’s place in a post-Covid age, Nick Groom takes us on an unexpected journey through Tolkien’s world, revealing how it is more relevant now than ever before.

Writer and scholar Prof. Groom taught the only UK degree course on Tolkien for many years. Twenty-First-Century Tolkien is a highly original and radical reinterpretation of Tolkien’s work and later adaptations, including the blockbuster films; the perfect gift for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, old and new.