The One hundred and seventy-first Roving Ranger

-:- Strange as news from Bree -:-

Life and Works

Jan 19, 1965. Tolkien writes Letter 268 (Abre numa nova janela). on Shadowfax’s fate.
Jan 20, 1983. Finn and Hengest (Abre numa nova janela) is published.
Jan 21, 1889. Edith Bratt (Abre numa nova janela) is born in Gloucestershire.
Jan 22, 1928. Tolkien reads a paper, The Chill Barbarians of the North (Abre numa nova janela), at a meeting of the Newman Society (Abre numa nova janela), in Oxford.
Jan 24, 1972. Tolkien writes Letter 332 (Abre numa nova janela), on his move to Merton and bereavement.
Jan 25, 1948. Tolkien writes Letter 113 (Abre numa nova janela), a long apology to C.S. Lewis.

But I warn you, if you bore me, I shall take my revenge. (It is an Inkling's duty to be bored willingly. It is his privilege to be a borer on occasion). I sometimes conceive and write other things than verses or romance!

• Third Age (Abre numa nova janela), 301 (Abre numa nova janela)9: Gandalf (Abre numa nova janela) casts down the Balrog (Abre numa nova janela), and passes away. His body lies on the peak. The Endless Stair (Abre numa nova janela) is destroyed. [Jan 25]

Have a look at a 1917 photograph of Sarehole Mill (Abre numa nova janela). [Birmingham Public Library]

The Battle of Maldon: together with The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth (Abre numa nova janela) is getting a paperback edition [Jan 29]

Kalevala: The Story of Kullervo (Abre numa nova janela) has just been released in Finland. [trailer (Abre numa nova janela); “the broad strokes of the story of Túrin in the legendarium originates in Tolkien's attempted retelling of Kullervo's tale” (Abre numa nova janela)]

Events & Shows

The Tolkien Tapestries exhibition returns Aubusson weaves Tolkien will be at the Musée Jean Lurçat à Angers (Abre numa nova janela) [April 10 - November 30]

The Tolkien Conference in Zurich will return for its second edition; this year’s theme is: “Leadership … in Tolkien’s Middle-earth” [March 14; hybrid, free registration (Abre numa nova janela)]

The Hobbit at the Stratford Festival has a very short, yet impressive teaser (Abre numa nova janela). [Youtube]

The Rosenbach Museum will be hosting Virtual Hobbit Biblioventures (Abre numa nova janela), starting Jan 26th.

March 25th celebrations are being promoted already - the Lexington County Public Library (South Carolina, USA) is offering a Tolkien Day Ball (Abre numa nova janela).

TolkienCon (Abre numa nova janela) is happening in Prague [Jan 23-25]

Last chance to get tickets (Abre numa nova janela) for the the Austrian Tolkien Society’s Cottage of Lost Play [Jan 30-Feb 1]

The Hobbit will be staged at the Playhouse in the Park (Abre numa nova janela), Murray, Kentucky, USA, in June. [Jun 19-28]

Nominations open for Tolkien Society Awards 2026 (Abre numa nova janela) [until Feb 1]

For all events check out the Tolkien Guide (Abre numa nova janela).

My podcast: A Talk with the Tolkienist [Spotify (Abre numa nova janela) | YT (Abre numa nova janela) | RSS feed (Abre numa nova janela)]

Scholarship & Fandom

My blog, thetolkienist.com, has another guest post, this time from Lukas Ritzel: “An interview with Joy Shannon & Ruth Tolkien: ‘In The Forest Singing Sorrowless’”. (Abre numa nova janela)

Jeff LaSala has While the Orc-crowd Hooted (Abre numa nova janela).

Stephen C. Winter has “A Pawn Did Gandalf Say? Perhaps; But On the Wrong Chessboard.” Pippin Feels Out of Place Amidst Preparations for War in Gondor (Abre numa nova janela).

doutbfulsea has Thin and Stretched (Abre numa nova janela).

The rolling issue of the Journal of Tolkien Research (Volume 23, Issue 1) has added its latest article: "Uruk ... We Prefer 'Uruk'": The Representation of the Orc in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Abre numa nova janela).

Kaitlyn Facista has a charming list titled What does it mean to be a "Hobbit at Heart" (Abre numa nova janela)? [Tea with Tolkien]

Thoughts on Tolkien has Grendel and Grond (Abre numa nova janela).

Merchandise & Franchise

Netflix Goes On The Record, Promising A Full 45-Day Theatrical Run For Warner Bros. Films (Abre numa nova janela) [Cartoon Brew; original interview with the NYT, paywall (Abre numa nova janela)]

Netflix Converts Warner Bros. Deal To All-Cash To Shut the Door On Paramount (Abre numa nova janela) [Cartoon Brew]

Casting Call Goes Out For Young Sméagol (Abre numa nova janela) in ‘Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum’ [Knighted Media¹; also Aragorn is being recast on “Hunt for Gollum” movie, TheOneRing.net (Abre numa nova janela)]

‘Lord Of The Rings’ Trilogy 25th Anniversary Event Rings Up $11M In Worldwide Box Office (Abre numa nova janela) [Deadline]²

Inter alia

If you ever feel like finding the Tolkien memorial bench in Oxford… here you go (Abre numa nova janela).

Kathleen Kennedy steps down as the boss of Lucasfilm [Wertzone] (Abre numa nova janela)

Holly Hunter Reaches for the Stars (Abre numa nova janela)³ [New York Times]

Keep in mind - Artemis II is soon launching for the moon (Abre numa nova janela) [NASA]

Thinking about starting a newsletter, podcast, Patreon, Substack etc.?

Then do consider using Steady (Abre numa nova janela) - it is an exceptionally easy to use option for all needs. Built originally for an independent journalists’ collective, Krautreporter (Abre numa nova janela), it is run by creative minds for creative minds. Think Patreon, just better. It is based in Germany, free of enshittification (Abre numa nova janela) and nazis.

Do use my invite link (Abre numa nova janela) and start with three months fee-free.
[Transparency note: I get a small referral bonus with no extra costs to you.]

According to German law I have to inform you all links to enterprises, artists, products etc. are [unpaid advertisements.] Some purchase links may earn me a small commission from Blackwell's (Abre numa nova janela), Bookshop.org (Abre numa nova janela), or Genialokal (Abre numa nova janela), the (independent) bookshops of my personal trust (one with a Tolkien connection!)

If you are interested in my other Tolkien-related work please have a look:
The Tolkienist Blog (Abre numa nova janela) : Facebook (Abre numa nova janela) : Bluesky (Abre numa nova janela) : Instagram (Abre numa nova janela) : Threads (Abre numa nova janela) : Mastodon (Abre numa nova janela) - and have a look at all Roving Rangers published so far. (Abre numa nova janela)

As this is 2025 I would like to note that this newsletter is 100% human-made, curated by me, Marcel R. Bülles. This also holds true for everything I write with my blog and here at Steady. Also, the minimum time of curating this newsletter ranges from 8-12 hours every week. Please consider supporting me so I can continue offering the Roving Ranger - thank you.

1. h/t to Will Smith at the Green Lanterns Podcast (Abre numa nova janela). ↩

2. A bucket of your bucket list? Official merchandise via Emagine Theatre (Abre numa nova janela). ↩

3. h/t for the free link to File770 (Abre numa nova janela). ↩