166 – Inspiration in Unlikely (and Likely) Places: An Interview with John Garth

Alan and Shawn are pleased to welcome John Garth back to the podcast to talk about his upcoming book, The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien. It gives us an unprecedented look at the places that inspired Tolkien, from locations close to home in England to cultural traditions around the world. Listen in as Garth explains the origins of the book and his approach to the topic, shares surprising connections between the legendarium and the real world, and even debunks a few myths. We close with a look back at Christopher Tolkien and legacy owed to him by fans of his father.

For John Garth’s article about Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha and The Hobbit, see “Tolkien’s death of Smaug: American inspiration revealed” at The Guardian online here.

You can follow John Garth online at his website, http://www.johngarth.co.uk/, on Facebook (facebook.com/JohnGarthWriter) or on Twitter (@JohnGarthWriter)

For speaking engagement inquiries, please see http://www.johngarth.co.uk/php/talks_and_presentations.php.

Recommended Reading:

Garth, John. The Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien: The Places That Inspired Middle-earth (Princeton University Press, hardcover)

Garth, John. Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth (Mariner Books, hardcover)

Garth, John. Tolkien at Exeter College (Exeter College, paperback)

Fimi, Dimitra, and Thomas Honegger, eds. Sub-creating Arda: World-building in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Work, its Precursors and its Legacies (Walking Tree Publishers, paperback)

Gilliver, Peter, Jeremy Marshall, Edmund Weiner. The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford University Press, hardcover)