The Tolkien Society is excited to partner with Tolkinovo društvo Srbije (the Tolkien Society of Serbia) and Centar za Muzeologiju I Heritologiju (the Centre for Museology and Heritology, the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Belgrade) on 7th and 8th December for a Seminar on the topic “Tolkien as Heritage”.
Tolkien as Heritage
Saturday and Sunday 7-8th December
(Free Hybrid Event) University of Belgrade & Online
The Tolkien Society is excited to partner with Tolkinovo društvo Srbije (the Tolkien Society of Serbia) and Centar za Muzeologiju I Heritologiju (the Centre for Museology and Heritology, the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Belgrade). Saturday 7th December will be held in person at the University of Belgrade, with papers delivered in Serbian – you can submit paper and panel proposals in Serbian for the 7th here. Sunday 8th December will be online and hosted by The Tolkien Society on Zoom – you can submit paper and panel proposals for the 8th below. The seminar will be co-hosted by Will Sherwood (The Tolkien Society’s Education Secretary) and Mina Lukić Gunner (Tolkinovo društvo Srbije).
Tolkien as Heritage
The notion of heritage encompasses both the valuable items and ideas inherited from the past that we choose to preserve and the process of evaluating and maintaining them. Recognition and cultivation of selected values, which give certain material and immaterial phenomena the status of heritage, can be analysed on multiple levels. Closely tied to memory, heritage depends on collective and individual efforts to understand, use, and preserve it, ensuring its constant presence in social and cultural memory.
The various heritages that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien as an author have been the subject of significant analysis. However, the idea of Tolkien’s work as heritage in and of itself has received comparatively little attention. This seminar understands heritage as something inherited from the past that we value in the present and strive to preserve for the future, and it aims to explore Tolkien’s work as heritage, investigating the ways in which his legacy is passed on.
Numerous individuals and organisations play a role in understanding and preserving Tolkien’s legacy. In addition to the efforts of his own family and the Tolkien Estate, institutions like the Bodleian Libraries and Marquette University safeguard his manuscripts, illustrations, letters, and other memorabilia. He has also become a part of the literary canon as his works are now included in many school, college, and university curricula, affirming his status within the frameworks of cultural memory and heritage. Equally important efforts include individuals reading and re-reading his works, collecting books and other Tolkien-related items, visiting places connected to his life, attending or organising fan conventions and seminars, and researching and promoting his work in different ways. Likewise, adaptations and multimedia interpretations of Tolkien’s works, along with various online activities, help transmit his stories and ideas, attracting new readers and new custodians of his oeuvre. Finally, translations and influence of Tolkien’s ideas on other authors may also be examined from this point of view.
We invite paper (20 minutes) and panel (60 minute) proposals on Tolkien’s work as heritage, asking how the phenomena analysed contribute to the affirmation, preservation, popularisation, and transmission of his legacy, securing its presence in global or local cultural memory.
Paper and panel proposals may address but are in no way limited to:
- Institutions and organizations that take care of Tolkien’s works and promote their research and presentation (e.g., Tolkien Estate, libraries, universities, fan associations)
- Memorials and monuments, sites of memory, commemorations
- Conventions and fan gatherings
- Collecting
- Internet activities (e.g. social networks, forums, blogs, websites, podcasts)
- Multimedia interpretations and re-imaginings (e.g. adaptations, dramatisations, artworks, fan fiction, games)
- Translations
- Tolkien’s influence on other authors and creatives
Submissions for Saturday 7th December (in Serbian)
We invite paper proposals no more than 300 words, for a 20-minute paper with 5 minutes of questions. Panel proposals should be no more than 500 words, for a 60 minute window.
The call for paper’s deadline is midnight Saturday 14th September 2024. You can submit your proposal here.
Submissions for Sunday 8th December (in English)
We invite paper proposals no more than 300 words, for a 20-minute paper with 5 minutes of questions. Panel proposals should be no more than 500 words, for a 60 minute window.
The call for paper’s deadline is midnight Saturday 14th September 2024. You can submit your proposal here.
Attendance
The seminar will be free for all attendees on both days. You will be able to sign up to attend the seminar after the CfP has closed.
About the Seminar
The Tolkien Society Seminar is a short conference of both researcher-led and non-academic presentations on a specific theme pertaining to Tolkien scholarship. The Society held three seminars in 2021 (Twenty-first Century Receptions of Tolkien, Tolkien and Diversity, and Translating and Illustrating Tolkien) and their online setting has seen increased interest with over 700 attendees from 52 countries at ‘Tolkien and Diversity’. After the seminar, all paper recordings from the seminars are uploaded onto the Tolkien Society’s YouTube channel. We are delighted to run hybrid seminars where delegates can enjoy discussions on Tolkien in person and online.
