What is Tolkien Reading Day?

Tolkien reading day (25th March)

Tolkien Reading Day is take place on the 25^th of March every year. This date, 25^th of March was chosen as the date on which the Ring was destroyed, completing Frodo’s quest and vanquishing Sauron.

It has been managed and organized by the Tolkien Society since 2003 to encourage people to celebrate and promote the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien by reading favorite passages. We particularly encourage schools, museums and libraries to host their own Tolkien Reading Day events.

Tolkien Reading Day is held on the 25^th of March each year.

It has been organised by the Tolkien Society since 2003 to encourage fans to celebrate and promote the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien by reading favourite passages. We particularly encourage schools, museums and libraries to host their own Tolkien Reading Day events.

Why 25 March?

The 25^th of March is the date of the downfall of the Lord of the Rings (Sauron) and the fall of Barad-dûr. It’s as simple as that!

As the 25^th is obviously a fixed date, we suggest that local events could be held on the weekend prior to then if that’s more convenient.

History

Tolkien Reading Day began following an enquiry from Sean Kirst, a columnist of the The Post-Standard (a paper local to Syracuse, New York), in January 2002:

My grandparents were fishing folk from Buckie in the north of Scotland, carriers of the old stories and legends, and the trilogy has filled a certain hole in my life. I have many friends here in New York who were equally moved by the book, reignited by the film, and we all wondered: is there any day devoted informally to readings from the trilogy, in the way that “Bloomsday” is devoted to Joyce?

The committee liked the idea so much that they choose 25 March 2003 to be the first “Tolkien Reading Day”, and the rest, as they say, is history!

What will you be reading?

The theme for this year’s Tolkien Reading Day is Nature and Industry. You can, of course, read any works by Tolkien – fiction or non-fiction – that you personally enjoy. But some suggestions for what you might like to read as part of this year’s theme:

The Lord of the Rings, such as the chapters “The Old Forest”, “Lothlórien”, “Treebeard”, “Helm’s Deep”, “The Scouring of the Shire”;
Tales from the Perilous Realm, particularly Leaf by Niggle;
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, such as letters 75, 78, 131, 155, 181; and
Beren and Lúthien.