September 2026 Modules

“And there abide the ghosts of those that may not rest; and there wander the dwarfs and the mountain-dwellers, the dealers in marvels, the givers of gifts that destroy Houses…”

Over two months, let’s read The Roots of the Mountains by William Morris!

Ensconced at the roots of the mountains, the peaceful Dalemen are craftspeople, woodsmen and shepherds. Only the restless Face-of-God dares to roam beyond the safe confines of his village. In the wilds, he soon discovers his world is far from safe, as the Huns are poised to invade Dale and cast its people into slavery.

Taking up his sword alongside the beautiful Sun-Beam, Face-of-God vows to protect his folk at any cost. Only by bringing together the disparate tribes of the Dale do they have any hope of victory.

William Morris returns to the world of wights and shield maidens. An epic of bravery and sacrifice, imbued with a deep love of Norse myth, Morris revives the medieval romance tradition where true love endures against terrible foes.

Although they were never completed in his lifetime, JRR Tolkien wrote what he considered his three "Great Tales" of the Elder Days and intended them to be a significant part of his wider Silmarillion. These Tales are The Tale of Beren and Lúthien, The Children of Húrin, and The Fall of Gondolin. Some parts of these Tales can be found within the published version of The Silmarillion, but the more recently available individual books provide additional and extensive details for each story.

In this course, we will have a ‘read-along’ discussion of The Fall of Gondolin. Each session we will consider our close reading of a section of the story, examining Tolkien’s use of language and narrative structure, as well as exploring ideas about what each Tale tells us about Tolkien’s secondary world.

Access to a copy of The Fall of Gondolin will be necessary, and you may find having a copy of The Silmarillion very useful.