tolkien-reading-day-2016

Tolkien Reading Day is a day celebrating the life and work of writer J.R.R. Tolkien, author of "The Lord of the Rings" troliogy and "The Hobbit."

(AP)

Tolkien Reading Day, the day of remembrance honoring the "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" author J.R.R. Tolkien, was set up by the Tolkien Society in 2003 and is celebrated annually March 25.

Each year, the society celebrates the high fantasy writer, poet and Oxford professor by encouraging fans to promote the legacy of Tolkien's work by reading or revisiting their favorite passage.

In particular, the organization wants libraries, museums and, above all, schools to participate in the Tolkien day of remembrance.



What's the theme for Tolkien Reading Day 2016? Life, death and immortality. According to their web site, the Tolkien Society says this particular theme was chosen to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.



"Tolkien fought and survived this dreadful battle, but lost his close friend and fellow T.C.B.S. (Tea Club and Barrovian Society) member Rob Gilson," they wrote. "With the death of G.B. Smith later that year, the First World War undoubtedly shaped Tolkien's outlook on life and death, with mortality and immortality looming large in the Middle-earth legendarium."

Tolkien was famous for penning "The Hobbit" in 1937 and "The Lord of the Rings" 1954-1955. His fantasy epic is set in a pre-historic era he called Middle Earth and was populated by humans, elves, dwarves, trolls, orcs (or goblins) and Hobbits.

Several Tolkien works were published posthumously after his death in 1973, namely "The Silmarillion," a collection of works, edited by his son Christopher in 1977.

Sound off in the comments below and tell us if you'll be reading Tolkien. Also, don't forget to share it on Twitter by using the hashtag #TolkienReadingDay.

Anthony Venutolo may be reached at avenutolo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyVenutolo and Google+. Find NJ.com on Facebook.