The One hundred and seventy-eighth Roving Ranger

-:- Strange as news from Bree -:-

Life and Works

Oxford, Physics, and the Day I Saw Tolkien Summon Henry (Abre numa nova janela)¹ [Conferences that work]

Events & Shows

The Concord Public Library is hosting a Hobbit Fest (Abre numa nova janela) March 21; New Hampshire, USA]

The Full Moon Players (Abre numa nova janela) at the Cypress Moon Studio (Abre numa nova janela) in are doing The Hobbit (Abre numa nova janela). [Apr 23-26; Sheffield, Alabama, United States]

The Mythical World of Middle-earth conference will take place March 27th (Abre numa nova janela) [Constantine the Philosopher University (Abre numa nova janela), Nitra, Slovakia]

Representing the gazillion of pub quizzes this week is Tolkien Trivia (Abre numa nova janela) in Duluth, Minnesota, USA [Mar 11; caught my eye as the brewery is called Ursa Minor (Abre numa nova janela)]

And representing all the amazing community work libraries are doing the world over this week: Use a wood ornament to design your own hobbit door (Abre numa nova janela) [Springfield-Lakemore Branch Library; Akron, Ohio, USA]

MythCon 54 (Abre numa nova janela) is happening in Oklahoma [July 24-27]

The Wade has another lecture:  "The Ring of Righteousness: Justice in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth" [Youtube (Abre numa nova janela); March 19]

Please note I am the Guest of Honour of this year’s Lustrum of the Dutch Tolkien Society, Unquendor.

Registration is now open (Abre numa nova janela) for June 19-21, 2026.

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

I am doing a global map for Tolkien Reading Day (Abre numa nova janela), with events from Tolkien societies & smials, libraries and cultural partners, who have Middle-earth in their hearts. Send me your links!

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

John Garth has Tolkien’s land of the dead and ‘going west’ in 1914–18 (Abre numa nova janela) [Steady; paywall]

Miriam Ellis has Woodhall in the Woody End: A Special, Dreamy Shire Landscape (Abre numa nova janela) as well as Yavanna and the Hobbits (Abre numa nova janela).

Giovanni Carmine Costabile has Tolkien's Oriental Sources? Renunciation of Immortality and Fairy Nature (Abre numa nova janela) and Clive Shergold Welsh on Wagons: Tolkien’s introduction to the Welsh language (Abre numa nova janela) [Journal of Tolkien Research]

The Bodleian Map Room Blog does mention Tolkien in “Approaches to Valhalla (Abre numa nova janela).”

Abigail Nussbaum has The Great Tolkien Reread: Fog on the Barrow-Downs (Abre numa nova janela) [Blogspot]

doubtfulsea has Encouragement (Abre numa nova janela).

I wrote about last year: 2025 in retrospect: fifteen notable events (Abre numa nova janela) [thetolkienist.com]

Stephen C. Winter has “I Have Looked in The Stone of Orthanc, My Friends.” Why Does Aragorn Choose This Moment to Reveal Himself to Sauron (Abre numa nova janela).

Tom Hillman has Gollum said, Sméagol said (Abre numa nova janela).

Merchandise & Franchise

Sirius Partners with asmodee and Middle-earth Enterprises on Official The Lord of the Rings™ Tabletop Accessories Line (Abre numa nova janela) [UberStrategist]

Tales of the Shire (Abre numa nova janela) is coming to the Switch 2 - for free, if you already own the Switch version. [Youtube]

Foes of Middle-earth has already raised more than $600K on Kickstarter (Abre numa nova janela) [Polygon]

The Hobbit Affairs! - “a two day Hobbit themed mini ren fair” -will take place April 18 (Abre numa nova janela), somewhere in North Carolina, USA.

Peter Jackson will receive the Cannes Honorary Palme d'or (Abre numa nova janela).

Lord of the Rings Star Elijah Wood Says He Doesn't Want Anyone Else Playing Frodo 'As Long as I'm Alive and Able' (Abre numa nova janela) [IGN; Sunday Times]

LotR boardgaming developer Office Dog Games have Why classic board games still matter to modern publishing studios (Abre numa nova janela).

Game Designer Matt Leacock notes (Abre numa nova janela):

Due to high demand, Fate of the Fellowship has been out of stock since late 2025. I’m happy to report that it will be returning to retail in late March! [Substack]

A radio station in Johannesburg (Abre numa nova janela), South Africa, asked listeners about their experiences with their neighbours, and apparently a dispute about a dog led one caller to share his story:

“My neighbour decided I’m a hobbit… and put hobbit posters all around the complex.”

Yes, apparently parking bays, walls and cars were decorated overnight — proving that passive-aggressive behaviour in Joburg sometimes comes with excellent production values.

Inter alia

Cast of FIREFLY tease possible reunion (Abre numa nova janela) [Wertzone]

Paramount/Warner Bros. Merger Officially Announced; Star Trek Named One Of “Compelling” Franchises (Abre numa nova janela) [TrekMovie; see also RedshirtsAlwaysDie (Abre numa nova janela)]

(Paramount Skydance owner David) Ellison has been described as an ally of Donald Trump. Trump has boasted about his friendship with David Ellison and his father Larry Ellison. [Wikipedia (Abre numa nova janela)]

DC's future just got very complicated (Abre numa nova janela) [ICv2]

Please note the Ellisons now essentially own the Eagle & Child (Abre numa nova janela).

Hobbits are named in this impressive piece on legendary band Wishbone Ash (Abre numa nova janela). [Loudersound]

Game of Thrones film adaptation in the works at Warner Bros (Abre numa nova janela) [Guardian]

Comic Baldo mentions Middle-earth in this (Abre numa nova janela).

Another idiotic social media trend even has the Diocese of Oxford say something: “DIY gravestone cleaning trend risks damage (Abre numa nova janela).”²

Keeping an eye on this one: Oxford could get a new city centre public square (Abre numa nova janela). [Oxford Clarion]

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.
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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 2026 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 Tolkien Gleanings 386 (Abre numa nova janela). ↩

2. h/t Oxford Clarion, March 10, 2026 (Abre numa nova janela). ↩