The Epic History of The Lord of the Rings with Dr Laura Crossley

This talk looks at the people and events that inspired Tolkien as he created his visionary mythology and considers the legacy and lasting impact that his works and their adaptations have had on popular fantasy fiction across media formats.

J.R.R. Tolkien, the creator of Hobbits and Middle-earth, and in many ways the father of contemporary fantasy fiction, positioned the term ‘escape’ as being an act of defiance and even rebellion. Fantasy is a way of directly negotiating and engaging with wider real world issues and concerns. Far from separating us from our real lives, engaging with and enjoying fantasy can be central to our sense of selves and our wellbeing.

Doors open at 7pm, talk starts at 7.30pm - come down early to grab a good seat!

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Laura Crossley is Senior Lecturer in Film at Bournemouth University. Her research interests include national identity, British film, nostalgia, postmodernism and post-colonialism. Her specific areas of interest are on spy fictions, particularly on film and television. Laura is founding co-editor of 'Routledge Studies in Espionage and Culture' (Routledge). She is currently researching aspects of nostalgia culture in contemporary Cold War fictions as part of a wider research project and is also developing a monograph on the Marvel series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021).

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