I’m sure I’m not the only one who has a pile of Tolkien books in my to-read pile, but that’s not stopping me from looking forward to some new publications. Here are a few of them…

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien.  Revised and Expanded Edition.  HarperCollins, 2023.

The letters have been a staple of Tolkien research since they were first published in 1981, and now we will get access to 150 new letters that were excised from the initial publication. The preview available in the link below gives us a fascinating glimpse into some of the new material.  

November 2023 is the earliest date the edition will be available, but this depends on your country and the format that you want.

Preview : https://preview.aer.io/The_Letters_of_J_R_R_Tolkien-NjAyNTY2

Information about the Tolkien Collector’s Guide livestream party on November 10 to celebrate the publication: https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=51781#forumpost51781.

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“There are many paths to tread”: Queer Approaches to Tolkien’s Middle-earth.  Edited by Robin Reid, Christopher Vacarro, and Steven Yandell. 

I haven’t seen a publication date yet from McFarland, but if you’re interested in the book, listen to the editors talking about their forthcoming volume at the Queer Lodgings Podcast: https://queerlodgings.com/episodes/queer-anthology-interview/

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Pity, Power, and Tolkien’s Ring: To Rule the Fate of Many.  Tom Hillman.  Kent State UP, December 2023.

Publisher’s information: https://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/2023/pity-power-and-tolkiens-ring/

Tom Hillman’s YouTube channel includes a series of videos in which he reads from his forthcoming book.  Start here: https://youtu.be/oItiCI0A2oA?si=7q5Xaz8HBCxudBbx

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The Literary Role of History in the Fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien.  Nicholas Birns. Routledge, December 2023.

The publisher’s information is here: https://www.routledge.com/The-Literary-Role-of-History-in-the-Fiction-of-J-R-R-Tolkien/Birns/p/book/9781032597683#

If you go to the Routledge website, you’ll see my blurb under the “critics’ reviews” link:

“Nicholas Birns explores diverse and wide-ranging visions of history in Tolkien’s works, including Roman, Mediterranean, Semitic, and Byzantine influences, thus significantly expanding the conventional focus in Tolkien studies on the early Germanic world, while his discussion of the Goths and Lombards provides a detailed and nuanced account of Tolkien’s interest in Germanic histories. Various chapters offer different historical contexts and sometimes surprising insights, such as 18th-century politeness in Théoden and the hobbits; 19th-century Romanticism in the nature-loving Silvan Elves; 20th-century philologists and Tolkien, and the shocking effect of Appendix F in Lord of the Rings. Select a chapter or read the entire book, which examines history in the real world and inside the fiction, from Númenor to the last days of the Dwarves, and suggests ways in which history can be read as an analogue, a limitation, or a creative inspiration for our understanding of Tolkien and his fiction.”

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Happy reading, everyone!