Chad Chisholm, CIFC Director

The following video lecture discusses two lesser-known stories by renowned author J.R.R. Tolkien—Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham. Our conversation will explore the following questions:

• What is ‘faery’ and why does Tolkien feel the need to distinguish it from the fairy tales we are familiar with today?
• Since there is only a fleeting mention of religion in Tolkien’s fiction, how can we discern that the author’s faith is indeed influencing his work?
• Can Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham serve as metafictional commentaries for much of Tolkien’s fiction?