5 days to go! Anglo-Saxon epic poem Kickstarter

Hey all! I’m super excited to report that a great number of people have backed up my Kickstarter campaign for the publication of a special hardback edition of Hæstingas: A retelling of the valiant fall of England in verse.

The book is a historical fantasy, 4,000-line epic poem set during one of the most turbulent times in English history.

We’re only 5 days away from the end of the campaign. So if you wish to back this project, now’s the time to do so 😀

Copies of the paperback edition of Hæstingas are still available from Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

Till next time! 😉

Anglo-Saxon historical fantasy epic poem | Crowdfunding begins!

Hey folks! Back again from the shadows 🙂

I hope you’re all sage and are having a good start to the new year.

Just dropping by for a quick shout-out to a Kickstarter campaign just launched.

As many followers of this blog may know, I wrote a book back in November 2019: Hæstingas: A retelling of the valiant fall of England in verse.

The book, a historical fantasy, 4,000-line epic poem set during one of the most turbulent times in English history, is now getting the Special Edition Hardcover treatment!

If you have an interest in Anglo-Saxon history, are a fantasy reader and love to odd-bit o’ poetry (as Samwise Gamgee would say) every now and then, your support in this endeavour would be most appreciated!

Rewards and bundles are there for the taking, so head over to the Kickstarter campaign page and take a look.

In the meantime, copies of the paperback edition of Hæstingas are still available from Amazon.com and Amazon UK.

Till next time! 😉

“Hæstingas” | My New Book!

Well folks, this is it.

The Lay of Leofwin project I briefly posted about over the last few months, has taken a life of its own and been transformed into a book. An actual, published book!

Lay of Leofwin project #Update 2

Alas! dear readers and followers of A Tolkienist’s Perspective. I feel a long apology is due to redress my absence during these last few months. However, a short note must suffice at this stage. Although I’ve been actively replying to comments that still flow through on a weekly basis on this blog (thank you!), one of the reasons for my inactivity was precisely this Lay of Leofwin project, which I delve into a bit more in this post.

Hence, read on dear reader, read on …

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It soon becomes apparent to readers delving into Tolkien’s writings, that the aforementioned author was fascinated by the Anglo-Saxon world that thrived in England between c.450AD and 1066 — the latter, an infamous year in history when the Battle of Hastings took place.

Tolkien Books I HAVE NOT read (yet)

Though this might not trouble some of you, I believe I’m letting down my own Tolkien self and feel the need to share.

Whilst the author’s works are too extensive to be read within the relatively brief amount of time I’ve been an ardent reader of Tolkien (15 years give or take), there are some books — written by or about him — that I feel disappointed at not having yet tackled them.

Northern Courage, Ofermōde and Thorin Oakenshield’s last stand

Northern Courage

Tolkien was fascinated by the concept he called “the theory of courage”, which exemplified one of the highest qualities in the literary Northern hero: that of unflinching courage, steadfast resolve and sheer determination of will in the face of impossible odds.

Epic Cinematography Trailer – The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings

Defining the “Epic” of these Trilogies

I’ve been meaning to do a video of great shots from both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings for quite some time now.

Finally, you can see the result in the video below.

Approaching Tolkien – Beowulf: A Translation & Commentary

The Anglo-Saxon Epic Receives Treatment from the Anglo-Saxon Professor

If you’ve read your fair share of Tolkien, at some point in your reading you would certainly have comes across numerous references highlighting the author’s fascination towards Anglo-Saxon culture and literature.

Beowulf, made up of three thousand lines written in the Old English metre, remains the single most important work of the period.

But as expressive and fluent as the language is in the original language, many scholars have attempted to translate it into Modern English in the hope of capturing the same spirit and style of the poem: as it was intended to be read.

New Tolkien book now available!

That’s right folks.

Today the much-anticipated new book by Tolkien is now available 😀

A good day to love Tolkien!

Exciting news ahead …

I smell the covers of a new Tolkien book on the way! 🙂

Such a phrase is rarely heard nowadays. However, it seems like a feast considering we’ve just had The Fall of Arthur released barely a year ago.

Indeed, word had just come out that the Tolkien Estate (in association with Harper Collins) will publish J.R.R. Tolkien’s own translation of the Anglo-Saxon epic, Beowulf.

The book will be available on May 22nd, this year.