The One hundred and seventy-first Roving Ranger

-:- Strange as news from Bree -:-

Life and Works

Jan 19, 1965. Tolkien writes Letter 268 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). on Shadowfax’s fate.
Jan 20, 1983. Finn and Hengest (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) is published.
Jan 21, 1889. Edith Bratt (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) is born in Gloucestershire.
Jan 22, 1928. Tolkien reads a paper, The Chill Barbarians of the North (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), at a meeting of the Newman Society (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), in Oxford.
Jan 24, 1972. Tolkien writes Letter 332 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), on his move to Merton and bereavement.
Jan 25, 1948. Tolkien writes Letter 113 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), 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 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), 301 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)9: Gandalf (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) casts down the Balrog (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), and passes away. His body lies on the peak. The Endless Stair (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) is destroyed. [Jan 25]

Have a look at a 1917 photograph of Sarehole Mill (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). [Birmingham Public Library]

The Battle of Maldon: together with The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) is getting a paperback edition [Jan 29]

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

Events & Shows

The Tolkien Tapestries exhibition returns Aubusson weaves Tolkien will be at the Musée Jean Lurçat à Angers (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [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 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)]

The Hobbit at the Stratford Festival has a very short, yet impressive teaser (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). [Youtube]

The Rosenbach Museum will be hosting Virtual Hobbit Biblioventures (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), starting Jan 26th.

March 25th celebrations are being promoted already - the Lexington County Public Library (South Carolina, USA) is offering a Tolkien Day Ball (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).

TolkienCon (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) is happening in Prague [Jan 23-25]

Last chance to get tickets (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) 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 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster), Murray, Kentucky, USA, in June. [Jun 19-28]

Nominations open for Tolkien Society Awards 2026 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [until Feb 1]

For all events check out the Tolkien Guide (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).

My podcast: A Talk with the Tolkienist [Spotify (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) | YT (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) | RSS feed (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)]

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’”. (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)

Jeff LaSala has While the Orc-crowd Hooted (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).

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 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).

doutbfulsea has Thin and Stretched (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).

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 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).

Kaitlyn Facista has a charming list titled What does it mean to be a "Hobbit at Heart" (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)? [Tea with Tolkien]

Thoughts on Tolkien has Grendel and Grond (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).

Merchandise & Franchise

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

Netflix Converts Warner Bros. Deal To All-Cash To Shut the Door On Paramount (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [Cartoon Brew]

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

‘Lord Of The Rings’ Trilogy 25th Anniversary Event Rings Up $11M In Worldwide Box Office (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [Deadline]²

Inter alia

If you ever feel like finding the Tolkien memorial bench in Oxford… here you go (Öffnet in neuem Fenster).

Kathleen Kennedy steps down as the boss of Lucasfilm [Wertzone] (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)

Holly Hunter Reaches for the Stars (Öffnet in neuem Fenster)³ [New York Times]

Keep in mind - Artemis II is soon launching for the moon (Öffnet in neuem Fenster) [NASA]

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

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 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). ↩

2. A bucket of your bucket list? Official merchandise via Emagine Theatre (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). ↩

3. h/t for the free link to File770 (Öffnet in neuem Fenster). ↩