Coming June 30, 2011, Literature Wales' 2011 Literary Tourism Programme has a walking tour that will focus on the influence of Wales' geography, language, and culture on J.R.R. Tolkien's fiction.
Literature Wales was developed to promote literature in the context of Welsh culture and history. For several years, it has offered walking and bus tour programmes across the country, with tour leaders being specialists in their respective fields.
As listed by TheOneRing.net:
The tour will be led by Dimitra Fimi, a Lecturer in English at UWIC and a specialist in the uses of folklore and mythology in fantasy literature. Her monograph Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008) explores the evolution of J.R.R. Tolkien’s (1892-1973) mythology by examining how it changed as a result of Tolkien’s life story and contemporary cultural and intellectual history.
The walking tour will focus on the Black Mountains, which are often associated with J.R.R. Tolkien's work. As stated in Literature Wales' brochure:
[Tolkien] adapted Welsh grammar and phonology to create the languages of some of his fictional peoples and drew onWelsh toponymy for his fantastical place names. This short walk explores the Black Mountains, which are often linked toTolkien‟s fictional landscapes, and draws on Fimi‟s knowledge of Tolkien‟s work and his Welsh connections and inspiration.
Should you be in Wales in June and want to discover a new side to Tolkien's work, check out Literature Wales' website for ticket prices, departure times, and brochures.
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