Hello and welcome to my website. I am Dimitra Fimi, Professor of Fantasy and Children’s Literature, and specialist on J.R.R. Tolkien and fantasy literature. Here you will find more information about my books, essays and articles, talks and lectures, and media appearances and contributions.
24 January 2025
Tolkien seminar at Oxford
I’ll be opening the Hilary Term Corpus Cristi Tolkien seminar series at Oxford on Friday 24 January with a paper titled “Tolkien the Mythographer”. Details here.
2 July 2024
IMC Leeds session
It was a great honour to attend a session at IMC Leeds 2024 in honour of my work. This was session 639: “Racial Medievalism in Tolkien Studies: A Session Celebrating the Works of Professor Dimitra Fimi, Founder of Tolkien at Leeds”. Many thanks to all who presented papers!
2 June 2024
Journal Article Published
The article I co-authored with Dr Andoni Cossio titled ‘“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1953 W. P. Ker Memorial Lecture: An Updated Chronology and Related Findings’ has been published Open Access in the journal English Studies. You can read it here.
30 March 2024
Country Life article
My research was cited in this Country Life article: “The very nature of Middle Earth — how Tolkien’s passion for the countryside inspired the Lord of the Rings“
11 January 2024
British Library Event on Tolkien
On 9 January 2024 I was one of four speakers for the British Library online event “Twenty First Century Tolkien”, alongside Prof Nick Groom and John Howe, chaired by Prof Adam Roberts. A recording of the event can be accessed here.
3 November 2023
Essay on Otherworlds
New publication: my essay “Fantasy worlds: crossing borders of otherness” has been published in Realms of Imagination: Essays from the Wide Worlds of Fantasy, edited by Tanya Kirk and Matthew Sangster. The book accompanies the British Library Fantasy exhibition.
27 October 2023
Guardian article
I am quoted in this Guardian piece, previewing the new British Library exhibition: “Fantasy: Realms of Imagination: “British Library celebrates the surging popularity of fantasy fiction”
5 September 2023
Essay on Tolkien’s Arda
Very pleased to have released (with permission) my 2016 essay on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Arda on my website. Link here.
6 March 2023
Celtic Seminar recording
Last week I gave a paper for the Celtic Seminar series (co-organised by the University of Oxford and the the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (CAWCS), Aberystwyth) on “Magic writing: Representations of the Og(h)am script in contemporary fantasy”. The recorded talk is available here.
23 February 2023
New book out
Imagining the Celtic Past in Modern Fantasy (part of the Perspectives on Fantasy series with Bloomsbury Academic), co-edited by me and Alistair J.P. Sims, has just been published today. The full Table of Contents can be accessed here.
17 January 2023
Inaugural Annual Tolkien Lecture video released
In May 2022 I delivered the Inaugural Annual Tolkien Lecture at the University of Birmingham, titled: ‘“I hold the key”: J. R. R. Tolkien through interviews and reminiscences’. The lecture was recorded and how now been released here.
6 October 2022
Book Review
My review of Robert Stuart’s Tolkien, Race, and Racism in Middle-Earth has been published in the Journal of Tolkien Research and can be accessed here.
3 October 2022
New book cover release
The cover of the collection Imagining the Celtic Past in Modern Fantasy, which I’ve co-edited with Alistair Sims, has just been released. The book will be out in February 2023 and is part of the Perspectives on Fantasy series I co-edit with Brian Attebery and Matthew Sangster at Bloomsbury.
22 September 2022
TLS Podcast
Following my TLS review of Amazon Prime’s Rings of Power, I was interviewed on the TLS podcast about the series, and was happy to share further thoughts. You can access the podcast here.
21 September 2022
TLS Review
My review of the first few episodes of Amazon Prime’s The Rings of Power has just appeared on the Times Literary Supplement (print copy and online).
2 September 2022
Guardian article
I am quoted in this Guardian piece, alongside other colleagues from Tolkien scholarship: “Trouble harfoot? Amazon’s Lord of the Rings epic divides Tolkien fans“
24 August 2022
GQ Magazine article
I am quoted in this GQ Magazine article alongside Ralph Bakshi: “Why Were Rock Stars So Into The Lord of the Rings?“
12 August 2022
Journal Article published
My article on Upton Sinclair’s forgotten children’s fantasy novel The Gnomobile has been published Open Access in the journal Children’s Literature in Education. You can read it here.
11 August 2022
The World of J.R.R. Tolkien released
My Audible original course (via The Great Courses) “The World of J.R.R. Tolkien” has been released! 10 lectures on Tolkien’s mythological, philosophical, cultural and linguistic sources and resonances. Extra resources and reading suggestions here.
4 August 2022
Essay on Chatterton, Tolkien, and Eco
Very pleased to have released (with permission) my 2016 essay on Thomas Chatterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Umberto Eco (focusing on writing the Middle Ages as an act of worldbuilding) on my website. Link here.
27 May 2022
Inaugural Annual Tolkien Lecture
I was delighted to deliver the Inaugural Annual Tolkien Lecture at the University of Birmingham, titled: ‘“I hold the key”: J. R. R. Tolkien through interviews and reminiscences’. More information here.
10 February 2022
Vanity Fairy Exclusive on Amazon’s Lord of the Rings
A new Vanity Fairy exlusive article, in which I am quoted, reveals a lot about the new Amazon Prime Lord of the Rings storylines, casting, production, and much more.
11 March 2022
Podcast Guest Appearance
Podcast guest appearance: “One Pod to Rule Them All: “Θα άρεσαν στον Tolkien οι διασκευές του; (με τη Δήμητρα Φήμη)“
25 February 2022
New Article for The Conversation
New article, co-authored with Mariana Rios Maldonado: “Lord of the Rings: debunking the backlash against non-white actors in Amazon’s new adaption“
17 December 2021
Naked Scientists interview
I was interviewed by Sally Le Page for the Naked Scientists Christmas episode. She asked me: “Why are Santa’s elves small?”. You can listen here!
5 November 2021
Alice Through the Looking-Glass Panel
Panel discussion on “Alice, Quo Vadis? Beyond the Looking-Glass”, alongside Steve Folan, Charlie Lovett, and Dr Franziska Kohlt, chaired by Brian Sibley. Closing session of Through the Looking-Glass: A sesquicentenary
celebration conference.
14 September 2021
Listen to the Universe
Listen to the Universe has been published! This pop-up book, co-authored by Dr Mariela Masso Reid and me, and illustrated by Oliver Dean, was produced via a GCRF-funded project. Find out more here.
17 June 2021
A Journey to Narnia
You can watch here a celebration of Katherine Langrish’s new book From Spare Oom to War Drobe, hosted by me and Dr Robert Maslen, via the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic.
27 April 2021
Strixhaven lecture
Strixhaven lecture online with Dr Matthew Sangster on “Fantasy, Magical Education, Knowledge, and Power”. Available to watch here.
11 April 2021
Tolkien Society Award
Absolutely delighted (and still in a bit of a shock!) to have been awarded the Tolkien Society Outstanding Contribution Award!
27 March 2021
TheOneRing.net Panel
I was interviewed by TheOneRing.net’s Clifford Broadway (host of TORn Tuesday) and Cathy Udovch (TORn special events coordinator), alongside Luke Shelton and Mariana Rios Maldonado on Tolkien, evil, and how the Second Age may come to our screens via The Lord of the Rings on Prime. Watch here.
4 February 2021
New book series launched
Professor Brian Attebery, Dr Matthew Sangster and I are co-editors of the newly launched Bloomsbury Academic series: Perspectives on Fantasy.
21 December 2020
New video: A Merry Tolkien Christmas!
A Merry Tolkien Christmas from me! A short video about the connections between the classic Christmas poem “A Visit from St Nicholas” and Tolkien’s fairy creature Tinfang Warble. Watch it here.
8 December 2020
Book shortlisted
Sub-creating Arda: World-building in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Work, its Precursors and its Legacies has been shortlisted for the Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Inklings Studies, along some very worthy competitors!
19 November 2020
Celebrating the Centenary of ‘A Voyage to Arcturus’
You can watch here a celebration of 100 years since the publication of Scottish SFF cult classic A Voyage to Arcturus, by David Lindsay. I was delighted to chair this event, with guest speakers Douglas A. Anderson, Prof Robert Davis, and Nina Allan.
18 September 2020
Keynote Lecture
Keynote lecture for Oxonmoot 2021, commemorating the 40th anniversary of Unfinished Tales. Title: “Tolkien’s Unfinished Tales at 40:
Traffics and Discoveries, Actions and Reactions, Limits and Renewals”. Watch it here.
16 September 2020
Launching the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic
I am delighted to have chaired the public event that launched the Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the University of Glasgow, of which I am Co-Director. You can watch the launch event here and you can see a short video about the Centre here.
25 August 2020
Leaf by Niggle – post-show Q&A
I was delighted to take part in the post-show Q&A with Richard Medrington, after another wonderful performance of Tolkien’s “Leaf by Niggle”, in support of Puppet State Theatre.
14 July 2020
Tiny Treasures Exhibition on Flickr
Last July, I curated an exhibition of miniature books titled: “Tiny Treasures: Miniature Books from Scotland and Beyond”., held at Special Collections, University of Glasgow. You can now view all the amazing exhibits complete with curatorial notes here.
8 July 2020
A Secret Vice out in paperback
A Secret Vice: Tolkien on Invented Languages, by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by me and Dr Andrew Higgins, has now been released on paperback, with a few corrections!
3 January 2020
Tolkien Experience Podcast
It was a pleasure to be the very first guest on the Tolkien Experience Podcast! You can listen here.
1 November 2019
TLS Review
Review of Ebony Elizabeth Thomas’s The Dark Fantastic for the TLS: “Dark others: Black girls and fantasy fiction”. Read the review here: https://www.the-tls.co.uk/articles/dark-others/
7-9 October 2019
Keynote Lecture
Keynote for 5th International Multidisciplinary Congress Phi 2019: “Intelligence, Creativity and Fantasy”. Watch the keynote here.
10 July 2019
Tiny Alice Project and Miniature Book Exhibition
Launch of Tiny Alice project and Miniature Book Exhibition I curated at the University of Glasgow. More about the project and exhibition here.
1-4 July 2019
Tolkien at IMC Leeds 2019
Organizing paper sessions and a round table panel on J.R.R. Tolkien at the International Medieval Congress at Leeds. Roundup here.
17 May 2019
TLS Review
Review of the Tolkien biopic for the TLS: “Linguistics, mythology and tea: J. R. R. Tolkien’s early life”. Read the review here.
6 December 2018
New article
New article published for The Conversation: “Was Tolkien really racist?”. Read the article here.
11-13 September 2018
20-22 July 2018
Summer Course
Course for Tŷ Newydd (the National Writing Centre of Wales) on ‘(Re)telling traditional narratives: myth, legend, fairy tale’, alongside Catherine Fisher.
2-5 July 2018
Timeline Heading
Organizing paper sessions and a round table panel on J.R.R. Tolkien at the International Medieval Congress at Leeds. Roundup here.
23 June 2018
Public Lecture
Public lecture for the Story Museum and Royal Entomological Society exhibition “Insects Through the Looking Glass” titled: ‘Wings, Antennae, and Stings: Tolkien’s Creepy Crawlies’.
5 June 2018
Tolkien Exhibition Panel
Panel discussion on “Mythopoeia: Myth-creation and Middle-earth” for the Bodleian Library’s “Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth” exhibition, alongside Professor Dame Marina Warner, Professor Verlyn Flieger, and moderated by Professor Carolyne Larrington.
24 May 2018
Seminar
Seminar for the Centre for Myth Studies (University of Essex), Myth Reading Group: ‘“The Battle of the Trees”: from medieval Welsh legend to modern fantasy’.
10-13 May 2018
Tolkien at Kalamazoo 2018
Paper for Tolkien sessions at the International Congress on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo, Michigan: ‘“Queer” Border, “Hidden Kingdom”: Perceptions of Wales in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Work’
26-27 April 2018
Keynote Lecture
Keynote for GIFCon (Glasgow International Fantasy Conversations) 2018: ‘In the blood and in the landscape: escaping (into) the “Celtic” past in contemporary children’s fantasy’
22 April 2018
Tolkien Society Award
My essay “‘Tears are the very wine of blessedness’: joyful sorrow in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings“, published in Death and Immortality in Middle-earth, won the Tolkien Society Award 2018 for Best Article. Read more here.
13 March 2018
Review
A review of Celtic Myth in Contemporary Children’s Fantasy by Professor Brian Attebery in International Research in Children’s Literature (IRCL) described the book as: “a clear, substantial, and original contribution to fantasy studies”. Read the review here.
7 March 2018
New article
New journal article published: ‘Language as Communication vs. Language as Art: J.R.R. Tolkien and Early 20th-Century Radical Linguistic Experimentation’, Journal of Tolkien Research, 5(1), pp. 1-28. Available here.
24 January 2018
New article
New article published for The Conversation: “Ursula K Le Guin’s strong female voice challenged the norms of a male-dominated genre”. Read more (and the article) here.
21 December 2017
New article
New article published for the The Conversation, titled: “J.R.R. Tolkien’s Christmas letters to his children bring echoes of Middle-earth to the North Pole”. Read more (and the article) here.
13 November 2017
Wales Book of the Year Awards
I was delighted to announce the Wales Book of the Year 2017 winner at a ceremony in Cardiff. It was an honour to be one of three judges for the English entries. Many congratulations to the winners of each category, and to the overall winner, Alys Conran, for her novel Pigeon. Photo courtesy of Camera Sion and Literature Wales. Read more here.