The J.R.R. Tolkien Lecture on Fantasy Literature is a free public lecture delivered annually at Pembroke College, Oxford.
The series was founded by Pembroke postgraduate students Will Badger and Gabriel Schenk in memory of J.R.R. Tolkien, who was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke from 1925 until 1945. During this time he wrote The Hobbit and the majority of The Lord of the Rings. The aim of the lecture series is to stimulate more serious study of fantasy literature at Oxford University and beyond. The lecture can be on any subject dealing with fantasy, science fiction, horror, or related speculative genres.About Us, The J.R.R. Tolkien Lecture on Fantasy Literature
The Pembroke College Middle Common Room announced the series in 2012,Announcing the First Annual Pembroke Lecture on Fantasy Literature in Honour of JRR Tolkien, The J.R.R. Tolkien Lecture on Fantasy Literature, 6 December 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2017. and the first lecture was delivered on 18 January 2013 by fantasy writer Kij Johnson.Matt Handley, Pembroke To Introduce Fantasy Lecture, The Oxford Student, 10 January 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2017.Matthew Reza, , The Oxonian Review, 18 January 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
R. F. Kuang was scheduled to deliver the eighth-annual lecture in April 2020,Gabriel Schenk , Pembroke College, Oxford, 26 February 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020. but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, her lecture was postponed. On 16 May 2020, in lieu of a lecture, past speakers Kij Johnson, Adam Roberts, Lev Grossman, Terri Windling, and Victoria 'V.E.' Schwab joined forthcoming lecturer Kuang for an online symposium on 'Fantasy in Times of Crisis'. The organizers invited donations to the Society of Authors' emergency fund to support British writers whose livelihoods had been affected by the pandemic.
Guy Gavriel Kay delivered the 2021 lecture on 11 May. It was held digitally via Zoom and streamed live to YouTube. In 2022, the Tolkien Lecture was held in person again, with R. F. Kuang delivering the lecture at Pembroke on 23 May.
Science fiction critic, writer, and publisher Cheryl Morgan regularly blogs about the lecture series on her website.Cheryl Morgan, Marlon James' Tolkien Lecture, Cheryl's Mewsings, 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.Cheryl Morgan, V.E. Schwab’s Tolkien Lecture, Cheryl's Mewsings, 2 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.Cheryl Morgan, Susan Cooper’s Tolkien Lecture, Cheryl's Mewsings, 28 April 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.Cheryl Morgan, Terri Windling’s Tolkien Lecture, Cheryl's Mewsings, 31 May 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2017.Cheryl Morgan, 2015 Tolkien Memorial Lecture from @leverus, Cheryl's Mewsings, 31 May 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2017.Cheryl Morgan, The Tolkien Lecture, Cheryl's Mewsings, 20 January 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2017. Fantasy author Juliet E. McKenna has also written about the series.Juliet E. McKenna, Interesting things of the week; thoughts on Tolkien, writing careers and gender stereotypes, 27 May 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
History
Date Lecturer Title 18 January 2013 Kij Johnson Inaugural Pembroke Lecture on Fantasy Literature in Honour of J.R.R. Tolkien 2 May 2014 Adam Roberts Tolkien and Women 13 May 2015 Lev Grossman Fear and Loathing in Aslan's Land 26 May 2016 Terri Windling Tolkien's Long Shadow: Reflections on Fantasy Literature in the Post-Tolkien Era 27 April 2017 Susan Cooper A Catch of the Breath 1 May 2018 V. E. Schwab In Search of Doors 26 February 2019 Marlon James Our Myths, Our Selves 16 May 2020 Panel Discussion: Fantasy in Times of Crisis 11 May 2021 Guy Gavriel Kay Just Enough Light: Some Thoughts on Fantasy and Literature 23 May 2022 R. F. Kuang Goodness, Beauty, and Truth: The Value of Art in Times of Crisis 16 May 2023 Maria Dahvana Headley Tell Me a Story: How Fantastical Literature Has Been Shaped by Storytellers and Audiences12 June 2024Neil GaimanHand Grenade Pins: On Libraries and the Fantastic19 May 2025Zen ChoThe Uses of Fantasy19 May 2026Brandon SandersonOn Fantasy
References
External links Official Website Press Release for the launch of the series Pembroke College, Oxford, Official Website