Tolkien's Legacy: 50 Years of Inspiration
Thematic Approach
GIRES, the Global Institute for Research Education & Scholarship dedicates the conference to the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the passing of J.R.R. Tolkien, one of the most influential and beloved fantasy authors of all time. The conference aims to honor Tolkien’s legacy, celebrate his works, and explore the enduring impact of his writings on literature, culture, and scholarship.
GIRES, dedicated to interdisciplinarity, invites scholars from diverse fields including but not limited to philosophy, religion, theology, sociology, anthropology, history, literature, art, economics, geography, cultural and political studies to contribute to the discussion share insights, and pay tribute to the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Proposed Topics
-Tolkien’s world-building and mythology
-Characters and themes in Tolkien’s works
-Linguistic inventions and constructed languages
-Adaptations of Tolkien’s works in film, television, and other media
-Fan communities and the legacy of Tolkien fandom
-Tolkien’s influence on contemporary fantasy literature
-The reception of Tolkien’s works in different cultural contexts
-Explorations of Tolkien’s lesser-known writings and academic contributions
-Literary analysis of Tolkien’s works, including his languages, characters, and narrative techniques
-The role of mythology, folklore, and ancient languages in Tolkien’s writings
-Tolkien’s influence on the fantasy genre and subsequent authors
-The reception and interpretation of Tolkien’s works in different cultural and historical contexts
-Tolkien’s environmental and ecological themes and their relevance today
-Gender and representation in Tolkien’s works
-Tolkien’s impact on art, music, and visual culture
-Digital approaches to studying Tolkien’s works and fan communities
-Teaching Tolkien: Approaches and challenges in the classroom
Proposed Formats (Lingua franca: English)
-Individual papers (GIRES will included it in a panel)
-Panels (up to 4 presentations-chaired by one of the presenters or appointed by GIRES)
-Roundtable presentations (chaired by one of the presenters or appointed by GIRES)
-Poster presentations
-Student presentations (one paper presented by up to 3 young scholars)
-Keynote speech (depending on the time availability)
-Pre-recorder presentation (s) (Asynchronous Platform)
-Pre-recorder presentation (s) (Synchronous-live- Sessions: live participation of presenter (s) during the Q&A sessions)
Publication Opportunity
The Organizing Committee and GIRES Press will publish the most powerful and dynamic presentations of the conference and include them
in a collective volume in the form of short articles and/or long essays. For more information please contact us
Live Sessions Recording
All participants have the option to have their presentations recorded (during live sessions) in HD quality. The recordings will be uploaded to GIRES media for unlimited access and dissemination.
Asynchronous Options
All participants have the option to have their presentations (video/audio/text) uploaded to our Virtual Platform. All registered participants will have access to the material for 5 days.
Our proposed topics & formats are not restrictive and we invite additional germane ideas
Due to the restrictions of Corona Crisis our event (for the time being) will take place VIRTUALLY