An Evening of Tolkien and the Middle Ages

At 6:00pm, please join Prof. Stephen Hopkins (UVA) as he discusses the life and career of JRR 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 Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

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

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

All are invited and welcome. Free to the public. Doors open at 5:30pm.

Sponsored by the Departments of Religion & Culture, English, and History. Offered in conjunction with the live performances of the Old English poem Beowulf, put on by the Moss Arts Center the week beforehand.