We met up with John Garth, author of Tolkien and the Great War and the newly published Tolkien at Exeter College, at Oxonmoot to talk about his work and the upcoming centenary of Middle-earth next Wednesday.

On 24 September 1914, while at Phoenix Farm in Gedling near Nottingham, the 22 year old Tolkien wrote ‘The Voyage of Éarendel the Evening Star’. This poem was described by Christopher Tolkien as “the first of the mythology”, and marked the beginning of what would become known as Middle-earth.

Part of the original poem can be found in Tolkien and the Great War, p. 45. A later (full) version is in The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, pp. 268-269.

Watch the video to learn more.

More information on Tolkien at Exeter College, including how to purchase a copy, can be found on John Garth’s website.

About the Author: Daniel Helen

Daniel is the Acting Chair of The Tolkien Society. He has been a trustee since 2014.