The J.R.R. Tolkien Lecture on Fantasy Literature

The J.R.R. Tolkien Lecture on Fantasy Literature is a free public lecture delivered annually at Pembroke College, Oxford University.

The series was founded by Pembroke postgraduate students Will Badger and Gabriel Schenk in memory of J.R.R. Tolkien, who was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke from 1925 until 1945. During this time he wrote The Hobbit and the majority of The Lord of the Rings. The aim of the lecture series is to stimulate more serious study of fantasy literature at Oxford University and beyond. The lecture can be on any subject dealing with fantasy, science fiction, horror, or related speculative genres.[1]

The Pembroke College Middle Common Room announced the series in 2012,[2] and the first lecture was delivered on 18 January 2013 by fantasy writer Kij Johnson.[3][4]

R.F. Kuang was scheduled to deliver the eighth-annual lecture in April 2020,[5] but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, her lecture was postponed. On 16 May 2020, in lieu of a lecture, past speakers Kij Johnson, Adam Roberts, Lev Grossman, Terri Windling, and Victoria 'V.E.' Schwab joined forthcoming lecturer Kuang for an online symposium on 'Fantasy in Times of Crisis'. The organizers invited donations to the Society of Authors' emergency fund to support British writers whose livelihoods had been affected by the pandemic.

Guy Gavriel Kay delivered the 2021 lecture on 11 May. It was held digitally via Zoom and streamed live to YouTube. In 2022, the Tolkien Lecture was held in person again, with R. F. Kuang delivering the lecture at Pembroke on 23 May.

On 21 March 2023, it was announced that Maria Dahvana Headley would deliver the lecture on 16 May.[6]

Science Fiction critic, writer, and publisher Cheryl Morgan regularly blogs about the lecture series on her website.[7][8][9][10][11][12] Fantasy author Juliet E. McKenna has also written about the series.[13]

History
DateLecturerTitle
18 January 2013Kij JohnsonInaugural Pembroke Lecture on Fantasy Literature in Honour of J.R.R. Tolkien
2 May 2014Adam RobertsTolkien and Women
13 May 2015Lev GrossmanFear and Loathing in Aslan’s Land
26 May 2016Terri WindlingTolkien’s Long Shadow: Reflections on Fantasy Literature in the Post-Tolkien Era
27 April 2017Susan CooperA Catch of the Breath
1 May 2018Victoria 'V.E.' SchwabIn Search of Doors
26 February 2019Marlon JamesOur Myths, Our Selves
16 May 2020Panel Discussion
Kij Johnson
Adam Roberts
Lev Grossman
Terri Windling
Victoria 'V.E.' Schwab
R. F. Kuang		Fantasy in Times of Crisis
11 May 2021Guy Gavriel KayJust Enough Light: Some Thoughts on Fantasy and Literature
23 May 2022R.F. KuangGoodness, Beauty, and Truth: The Value of Art in Times of Crisis
16 May 2023Maria Dahvana HeadleyTell Me A Story: How Fantastical Literature Has Been Shaped by Storytellers and Audiences

References
  1. About Us, The J.R.R. Tolkien Lecture on Fantasy Literature
  2. Announcing the First Annual Pembroke Lecture on Fantasy Literature in Honour of JRR Tolkien, The J.R.R. Tolkien Lecture on Fantasy Literature, 6 December 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  3. Matt Handley, Pembroke To Introduce Fantasy Lecture, The Oxford Student, 10 January 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  4. Matthew Reza, Writing the Fantastic, The Oxonian Review, 18 January 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  5. Gabriel Schenk , Pembroke College, Oxford, 26 February 2020. Retrieved 16 May 2020.
  6. "Maria Dahvana Headley to Deliver the 2023 Tolkien Lecture". The J.R.R. Tolkien Lecture on Fantasy Literature (website). Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  7. Cheryl Morgan, Marlon James' Tolkien Lecture, Cheryl's Mewsings, 2 March 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  8. Cheryl Morgan, V.E. Schwab’s Tolkien Lecture, Cheryl's Mewsings, 2 May 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2018.
  9. Cheryl Morgan, Susan Cooper’s Tolkien Lecture, Cheryl's Mewsings, 28 April 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  10. Cheryl Morgan, Terri Windling’s Tolkien Lecture, Cheryl's Mewsings, 31 May 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  11. Cheryl Morgan, 2015 Tolkien Memorial Lecture from @leverus, Cheryl's Mewsings, 31 May 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  12. Cheryl Morgan, The Tolkien Lecture, Cheryl's Mewsings, 20 January 2013. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  13. Juliet E. McKenna, Interesting things of the week; thoughts on Tolkien, writing careers and gender stereotypes, 27 May 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
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