An Evening of Tolkien and the Middle Ages

At 6 p.m., please join Professor Stephen Hopkins from the University of Virginia as he discusses the life and career of J.R.R. Tolkien with a talk entitled “The Medievalist and Mordor: How Tolkien’s Career Helped Forge the Lord of the Rings.” Prof. Hopkins will show how Tolkien’s life and career, his scholarly expertise on the European Middle Ages, as well as his experiences in Europe during a time of crisis during the early 20th century, shaped the world of Middle Earth. Then, after the talk, please stay for a free screening of the film The Fellowship of the Ring beginning at 7pm.

The talk will last about 30 minutes, followed by time for questions. 

Books from Blacksburg Books on Beowulf, Tolkien, and the Middle Ages generally will be available for purchase.

Sponsored by the Departments of Religion & Culture, English, and History.

Offered in conjunction with the live performance of the Old English poem Beowulf, put on by the Moss Arts Center the week beforehand.