ℌello, all; we hope you are and continue to be well!
At the 2025 International Congress on Medieval Studies, held at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the Society cosponsored a paper session with Tolkien at Kalamazoo: Return of the Franchise: Twenty-First-Century Continuations of Tolkien's Medievalism. The session, taking place at 3:30pm local time on 10 May 2025, was organized by Yvette Kisor (Ramapo College) and Society President Rachel Sikorski and presided over by Society member Kris Swank (University of Glasgow); it consisted of four papers.
The first was "Dice of the Rings: Reflections on a Particular Tabletop Roleplaying Game Set Amid Tolkien's Legendarium," by Geoffrey B. Elliott (Society Social Media Officer). Elliott writes of it "Among the many adaptations of Tolkien's Legendarium are many tabletop roleplaying games. These include the principal example of the genre, Dungeons & Dragons. They also range to several licensed tabletop roleplaying games. The adaptations necessary to such games illuminate both Tolkien's continued reception and popular mis/use of the medieval." A copy of the text of his paper is available at his website, Elliott RWI, and is linked here.
The second paper was "'Do not touch the water!': Gendered Materiality in Tolkien's Visual Frames," by Benjamin E.C. Shotton (University of Bristol). Shotton writes "This paper articulates the systematic and morally fraught processes of vision and visuality in The Lord of the Rings by considering how the materiality of both the Mirror of Galadriel and the Palantíri construct and enforce gendered modes of looking."
The third paper was "Peace(ful) Bywater: Exploring 'Tales of the Shire' and Analyzing the Rise of Cozy Media within the Lord of the Rings Franchise," by Rachel Sikorski. Sikorski writes "By analyzing 'Tales of the Shire and its marketing material,' this paper aims to identify and explore the thematic, aesthetic, and narrative elements that make a piece of work ‘cozy.’ Additionally, it will examine why Tolkien’s oeuvre provides an ideal backdrop for such a game within the current pop-culture landscape."
The final paper was "Rings of Power: Narrative Framing and Past Feminist Critique of Tolkien's Works," by Julie Loveland Swanstrom (Augustana University). Swanstrom writes "As Tolkien’s works are explored, examined, and expanded upon, some properties like Rings of Power seem to deal directly with several critiques levied at Tolkien’s works, namely a lack of gender and racial diversity. Centering on women and normalizing characters of color utilizes some existing Tolkienian to include more fans."
Delivery and discussion of the papers went well, with ample audience participation in the latter. It is hoped that subsequent Congresses will be able to build upon the work done.
A privately hosted annual general meeting followed the paper session at 6pm local time that same day. Owing to late notice and the scheduling concerns occasioned by the same, attendance at the meeting itself was limited, with only Rachel Sikorski and Geoffrey B. Elliott in attendance. Discussion at the scheduled meeting therefore treated matters only of immediate interest.
The first of them was cosponsoring a session with Tolkien at Kalamazoo--"Adaptations of Tolkien: Medieval Traces in Movies, Games and other Transmedial Texts (A Roundtable)"--at the 2026 Congress. The text of the session proposal is "This roundtable explores enduring medieval influences in adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's works across various media, including films and television, table-top and video games, and other transmedial texts. Roundtable panelists will examine how Tolkien's deep engagement with medieval literature, history, and mythology continues to shape modern interpretations, from the visual aesthetics and world-building in cinematic adaptations to the narrative structures and mechanics in interactive games and other media. Through interdisciplinary perspectives, the discussion will address ways medieval motifs are preserved, altered, or reimagined in these adaptations, considering both creative intentions and audience reception." Given the success of the day's paper session, it was determined that the Society would cosponsor the session.
The second matter of immediate interest was re-addressing the meeting. Since notice had not gone out in a timely fashion, it was determined that matters of interest that would normally have been treated in an annual general meeting would be addressed via online survey distributed via the Society email list and discussed in responses to the same, as well as the Society Discord.
Said survey was drafted and disseminated, if with some challenges, with over a week afforded members to respond. The transmission of the email was noted on the Society Facebook page, with a call for members who did not receive their copy of the same to request it be sent to them again. Seven responses were received, with minimal differences among them.
The survey asked the following:
- Luke Shelton has offered to remain VP (USA) for the 2025-2028 term. Do you approve?
- If and only if you do not approve of Luke Shelton as VP (USA), whom would you nominate for the position? The nominee must be a member in good standing and must not presently hold two committee positions in the Society.
- Geoffrey B. Elliott has offered to remain Social Media Officer for the 2025-2028 term. Do you approve?
- If and only if you do not approve of Geoffrey B. Elliott as Social Media Officer, whom would you nominate for the position? The nominee must be a member in good standing and must not presently hold two committee positions in the Society.
- The Society offers to propose as a paper session at the 2026 ICMS the following
Off the Printed Prose Page: Multimodal Medievalisms
"Other media than literature, ranging from the obvious movies to video games and music, among others, make much of the medieval and the kinds of ideas of the medieval that are promulgated and propagated by Tolkienian-tradition works. Rich as other arts are, and borrowing from the medieval as they do, there is relatively little discourse that focuses on how contemporary works in multiple media make use of the medieval, as such. The proposed paper session seeks to open conversations about how non-literary works look to popular mis/understandings of the medieval, making use of and influencing commonplace perceptions of the medieval."
Should the Society propose the paper session? - The Society offers to propose as a paper session at the 2026 ICMS the following
Bad Medieval/ism: Mis/Uses of the Medieval in Contemporary Fiction; or, I Know It's Wrong, But I Want to Have Fun
"That much contemporary fiction looks to the medieval for inspiration is clear. That that fiction gets a lot of the medieval wrong is also clear. Why the wrongness persists, what forms it tends to take, and what functions the particular errors serve may not be quite as clear--and so they bear examination, which the proposed paper session purposes to foster."
Should the Society propose the paper session? - If the Society should *not* propose either of the listed paper sessions, what should it propose and why?
- Is there other business you would like the Society to consider? Please let us know!
All respondents affirmed that Shelton and Elliott should remain in their positions; no other nominees were proposed.
Six of the seven respondents affirmed that the Off the Printed Prose Page session should be proposed. The lone dissenter noted difficulty filling multiple sessions and emphasized that the Bad Medieval/ism session should be proposed.
All respondents affirmed that the Bad Medieval/ism session should be proposed.
Consequently, the Society will be submitting proposals for a cosponsored roundtable with Tolkien at Kalamazoo, as well as two paper sessions. The intent, to facilitate attendance, it to have all sessions take place virtually. Similarly, the Society will ask for formally hosted virtual space for its 2026 annual general meeting at the 2026 Congress; expected agenda items will be the election of a Vice-President At-large (term ending 2029), the election of a Secretary (term ending 2029), and the determination of offerings for the 2027 Congress. Details of submissions and scheduling will follow as they become available.
