Welcome to the website of the
Walking Tree Publishers
Are you fascinated by Middle-earth?
Do you wish for a greater understanding of Tolkien's place in literature, his sources, his motivations, his beliefs; those who inspired him and those he inspired, the languages and the world he created and the reactions he provoked?
The Walking Tree Publishers collect and publish essays, papers and monographs from a broad range of different authors covering an equally diverse palette of topics, ranging from linguistics to theology.
Make this page your starting place for secondary literature on Tolkien.
Latest news ...
19th December 2011: Second edition of Inside Language
Walking Tree Publishers are pleased to anounce the publication of a second edition of Inside Language, Linguistic and Aesthetic Theory in Tolkien by Ross Smith.
The entire text has been thoroughly revised and a detailed index has been added. In addition, new material has been incorporated and a number of passages have been reworked in search of greater consistency. The result is a second edition which builds on the strengths of the first to achieve a more robust and coherent work. (read more)
(to link to this announcement: http://www.walking-tree.org/news_archive.php?item=60 )
14th December 2011: Tolkien's Influence on Fantasy
27th-29th April 2012, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany
DTG Seminar with the support of Walking Tree Publishers
Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings is, of course, neither the earliest nor the only work of fantasy that has exerted an influence on the development of the genre. Yet it is arguably one of the most important sources for many of the key texts of 20th and 21st century fantasy and is very often used as a work of reference (author xy is "the new Tolkien", "the Tolkien of xy" etc.). Its enormous popularity has made it almost impossible to ignore or even to avoid contact with its key-elements and stock-characters, such as maps, magic rings, elves, dwarves, wizards etc. They have been adapted by numerous later writers and artists and have become familiar icons of popular culture. Writing fantasy seemed, for a long time, to offer only two choices: to write in the tradition established by Tolkien, or against it. Recent authors, however, approach the 'tradition' with greater freedom and while acknowledging their debt to Tolkien, they no longer feel bound by the 'authority' of the master. This development has been furthered by a general trend towards the transgression of genre borders and the posthumous publication of much of the background material related to the ‘sub-creation’ of Middle-earth has opened up new vistas and provided ample opportunities for independent 'sub-creation'.
The Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena is hosting the 9th Seminar of the Deutsche Tolkien Gesellschaft (DTG) from 27-29 April 2012. The Seminar aims at exploring the various aspects of Tolkien's influence (or, alternatively, non-influence) on the development of fantasy and contributions (either in German or English) not only from scholars but also writers/authors and other artists are welcome.
For more information, please visit the website of the DTG Seminar 2012 Jena (external link).
For information on past and other conferences with Walking Tree Publishes participation, please visit our conferences page.
(to link to this announcement: http://www.walking-tree.org/news_archive.php?item=59 )
23rd November 2011: Arda Slam at The Return of the Ring
The Tolkien Society is organising a major conference at Loughborough University (UK) from 16th-20th August 2012. Walking Tree Publishers will be participating at the event and offering an "Arda Slam". Contestants will have ten minutes to present a Tolkien-related topic of their choice, with audience members judging them on their performance. The topics can be summaries or teasers of full presentations being held at the conference, or can be standalone talks. Projectors and other visual aids are allowed as in a full-length speaking slot, but the ten-minute time frame must be strictly adhered to. The challenge will lie in presenting your topic in the most appealing and accessible way possible.
Anybody wishing to take part should contact us.
More information on The Return of the Ring conference is available from www.returnofthering.org
For information on past and other conferences with Walking Tree Publishes participation, please visit our conferences page.
(to link to this announcement: http://www.walking-tree.org/news_archive.php?item=58 )
Today's selection ...
Humiliated Heroes:
Peter Jackson's Interpretation of The Lord of the Rings
Anthony S. Burdge & Jessica Burke
Tolkien in writing Lord of the Rings and even The Hobbit has almost single-handedly resurrected images of the hero. Inspired by heroic motifs from Beowulf to King Arthur, Tolkien wished to reintroduce such heroism to a world ... (read more)
(A different book or paper from our portfolio is featured here every day. This publication is featured on 27th January 2012. Click here if this is not today's version.)
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