A review by mariebrunelm
Tolkien and Diversity by Will Sherwood

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This volume covers the proceedings of the Tolkien Society 2021 Summer Seminar on the topic of… Tolkien & diversity. I can’t start without acknowledging the horrendous hate campaign that targeted the Tolkien Society and Will Sherwood in particular when the theme of the seminar was announced. It shows just how important it is to keep discussions on marginalised communities front and centre in all domains.

With that said, this is a great collection of insightful and well-researched topics which offer a large panel of interpretations of the theme, from the treatment of Indigenous peoples in the Legendarium to queer readers of Tolkien, to amatonormativity, disability, and what it means to read and study Tolkien in India, among others. I won’t go into details for each of the chapters, but believe me when I say this collection is a must-have in any Tolkien collection.