Digital Tolkien Project
@digitaltolkien.com
A scholarly project focused on Tolkien from a corpus linguistic and digital humanities perspective. Posts by James Tauber (@jtauber.com)
https://digitaltolkien.com/
https://digitaltolkien.com/
Reposted by Digital Tolkien Project
Just received an early UK signature #Tolkien paperback from @harpercollins.bsky.social. Really love this series and hope it continues. Finn and Hengest is already available to buy.
January 16, 2026 at 11:13 AM
Just received an early UK signature #Tolkien paperback from @harpercollins.bsky.social. Really love this series and hope it continues. Finn and Hengest is already available to buy.
Reposted by Digital Tolkien Project
Another edition of the Roving Ranger has just been sent to its subscribers.
Including:
LotR Magdalen Marathon; TSA 2026 nominations open; Tolkien Books Database; the "Tolkien Hypothesis"; Insect Damage, Tolkien, and a book of... Cheese?; the Crown of Gondor & more...
steady.page/en/thetolkie...
Including:
LotR Magdalen Marathon; TSA 2026 nominations open; Tolkien Books Database; the "Tolkien Hypothesis"; Insect Damage, Tolkien, and a book of... Cheese?; the Crown of Gondor & more...
steady.page/en/thetolkie...
The One hundred and seventieth Roving Ranger
The Roving Ranger #170 brings you all the interesting things Tolkienian of the last week and the weeks upcoming, curated by the Tolkienist.
steady.page
January 15, 2026 at 11:02 PM
Another edition of the Roving Ranger has just been sent to its subscribers.
Including:
LotR Magdalen Marathon; TSA 2026 nominations open; Tolkien Books Database; the "Tolkien Hypothesis"; Insect Damage, Tolkien, and a book of... Cheese?; the Crown of Gondor & more...
steady.page/en/thetolkie...
Including:
LotR Magdalen Marathon; TSA 2026 nominations open; Tolkien Books Database; the "Tolkien Hypothesis"; Insect Damage, Tolkien, and a book of... Cheese?; the Crown of Gondor & more...
steady.page/en/thetolkie...
Easy way to see what impressions we need…
Decided to just go ahead and implement said page: books.digitaltolkien.com/open-impress...
Open Impression Groups | Tolkien Books Database
Uncertain impression ranges we need help with
books.digitaltolkien.com
January 15, 2026 at 10:54 PM
Easy way to see what impressions we need…
You can and we do…
I don't know why this is, other than that with Tolkien you can like, do analysis of some scrap of paper from 1924, whereas with Wodehouse, it's surely just one person saying "Quite good, eh?" and another saying "Right ho."
January 15, 2026 at 9:08 PM
You can and we do…
Reposted by Digital Tolkien Project
I have this theory that the anglophone authors who'll survive the 20th century are Wodehouse and Tolkien*. But Tolkien people dress like characters and go to conventions. Wodehousians are weirdly quiet, and yet I swear whenever I mention him to anyone they're like "I LOVE WODEHOUSE SO MUCH"
Shot in the dark:
My new kids' book is loosely based on PG Wodehouse, and... among, like, media people I have no idea who to send it to, outside a circle of acquaintances! Any ideas?
My new kids' book is loosely based on PG Wodehouse, and... among, like, media people I have no idea who to send it to, outside a circle of acquaintances! Any ideas?
January 15, 2026 at 6:59 PM
I have this theory that the anglophone authors who'll survive the 20th century are Wodehouse and Tolkien*. But Tolkien people dress like characters and go to conventions. Wodehousians are weirdly quiet, and yet I swear whenever I mention him to anyone they're like "I LOVE WODEHOUSE SO MUCH"
This is how we model uncertainty around which impression a cover change took place at
January 15, 2026 at 5:57 PM
This is how we model uncertainty around which impression a cover change took place at
The Tolkien Books Database now has The Old English Exodus, Mr. Bliss (UK), and The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun (UK).
books.digitaltolkien.com
books.digitaltolkien.com
Tolkien Books Database
books.digitaltolkien.com
January 14, 2026 at 9:27 PM
The Tolkien Books Database now has The Old English Exodus, Mr. Bliss (UK), and The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun (UK).
books.digitaltolkien.com
books.digitaltolkien.com
Book of Lost Tales II entries are updated: books.digitaltolkien.com/work/book-of...
The Book of Lost Tales, Part II | Tolkien Books Database
books.digitaltolkien.com
January 14, 2026 at 3:53 AM
Book of Lost Tales II entries are updated: books.digitaltolkien.com/work/book-of...
Reposted by Digital Tolkien Project
I've updated books.digitaltolkien.com/work/bovadiu... with the De Luxe slipcase
@richove.bsky.social @harpercollins.bsky.social
@richove.bsky.social @harpercollins.bsky.social
The Bovadium Fragments: Together with ‘The Origin of Bovadium’ by Richard Ovenden | Tolkien Books Database
books.digitaltolkien.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:31 AM
I've updated books.digitaltolkien.com/work/bovadiu... with the De Luxe slipcase
@richove.bsky.social @harpercollins.bsky.social
@richove.bsky.social @harpercollins.bsky.social
And my final font adventure for tonight: worked out the typeface used on the "signature" paperbacks...
English Engravers
English Engravers
January 13, 2026 at 2:49 AM
And my final font adventure for tonight: worked out the typeface used on the "signature" paperbacks...
English Engravers
English Engravers
Garamond dominates recent hardback covers
January 13, 2026 at 2:17 AM
Garamond dominates recent hardback covers
ITC Clearface Pro Heavy is a match for the letter forms on the 1979 Unwin Paperbacks except for the length of the bar on the "E" and the height of the "l"s. Below I've tightened up each letter pair to match the books more closely than the default tracking.
January 13, 2026 at 12:36 AM
ITC Clearface Pro Heavy is a match for the letter forms on the 1979 Unwin Paperbacks except for the length of the bar on the "E" and the height of the "l"s. Below I've tightened up each letter pair to match the books more closely than the default tracking.
I've updated books.digitaltolkien.com/work/bovadiu... with the De Luxe slipcase
@richove.bsky.social @harpercollins.bsky.social
@richove.bsky.social @harpercollins.bsky.social
The Bovadium Fragments: Together with ‘The Origin of Bovadium’ by Richard Ovenden | Tolkien Books Database
books.digitaltolkien.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:31 AM
I've updated books.digitaltolkien.com/work/bovadiu... with the De Luxe slipcase
@richove.bsky.social @harpercollins.bsky.social
@richove.bsky.social @harpercollins.bsky.social
Reposted by Digital Tolkien Project
Coming out in April from @harpercollins.bsky.social @richove.bsky.social www.tolkienguide.com/modules/newb... #Tolkien
The Bovadium Fragments: Together with ‘The Origin of Bovadium’
www.tolkienguide.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Coming out in April from @harpercollins.bsky.social @richove.bsky.social www.tolkienguide.com/modules/newb... #Tolkien
UK Lost Road is how up on the Tolkien Books DB: books.digitaltolkien.com/work/lost-ro...
The Lost Road and other writings | Tolkien Books Database
books.digitaltolkien.com
January 11, 2026 at 10:47 PM
UK Lost Road is how up on the Tolkien Books DB: books.digitaltolkien.com/work/lost-ro...
this sort of analysis looks familiar :-)
January 11, 2026 at 5:32 PM
this sort of analysis looks familiar :-)
Okay, I think we've found a winner: It's Clearface (same designer as Century!)
This is tantalizingly close to Century Schoolbook Bold Condensed. Anyone want to help pin down what variant it is?
January 10, 2026 at 11:51 PM
Okay, I think we've found a winner: It's Clearface (same designer as Century!)
I think I'll start a page on books.digitaltolkien.com that captures information (and speculation) about typeface usage in cover designs.
Tolkien Books Database
books.digitaltolkien.com
January 10, 2026 at 5:54 PM
I think I'll start a page on books.digitaltolkien.com that captures information (and speculation) about typeface usage in cover designs.
This is tantalizingly close to Century Schoolbook Bold Condensed. Anyone want to help pin down what variant it is?
January 10, 2026 at 4:49 PM
This is tantalizingly close to Century Schoolbook Bold Condensed. Anyone want to help pin down what variant it is?
Deleted previous post because I realized I was conflating two variant typefaces. Will redo...
January 10, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Deleted previous post because I realized I was conflating two variant typefaces. Will redo...
The Unwin (1954–1990) three-volume Lord of the Rings books are all entered on books.digitaltolkien.com
Tolkien Books Database
books.digitaltolkien.com
January 10, 2026 at 1:20 AM
The Unwin (1954–1990) three-volume Lord of the Rings books are all entered on books.digitaltolkien.com
Reposted by Digital Tolkien Project
More time now separates us from the beginning of filming of LOTR (26 years and 3 months) than separated the beginning of filming from Tolkien's death (26 years and 1 month).
January 8, 2026 at 10:41 PM
More time now separates us from the beginning of filming of LOTR (26 years and 3 months) than separated the beginning of filming from Tolkien's death (26 years and 1 month).
I suspect, but am not sure, that my Hunt for Gollum thread has now reached the point I got to on Twitter.
January 8, 2026 at 5:58 PM
I suspect, but am not sure, that my Hunt for Gollum thread has now reached the point I got to on Twitter.
Reposted by Digital Tolkien Project
Another edition of the Roving Ranger has just been sent to its subscribers (#1 for 2026; the Epiphany Edition!)
Including:
Grocery Boy in The Hobbit; accessible Hobbit; Tolkien & Austen; Hunt for Gollum facts; thermal insulation of hobbit holes; hobbit pinball; books & games and more...
Including:
Grocery Boy in The Hobbit; accessible Hobbit; Tolkien & Austen; Hunt for Gollum facts; thermal insulation of hobbit holes; hobbit pinball; books & games and more...
The One hundred and sixty-ninth Roving Ranger
The Roving Ranger #169 brings you all the interesting things Tolkienian of the last week and the weeks upcoming, curated by the Tolkienist.
steady.page
January 6, 2026 at 9:26 PM
Another edition of the Roving Ranger has just been sent to its subscribers (#1 for 2026; the Epiphany Edition!)
Including:
Grocery Boy in The Hobbit; accessible Hobbit; Tolkien & Austen; Hunt for Gollum facts; thermal insulation of hobbit holes; hobbit pinball; books & games and more...
Including:
Grocery Boy in The Hobbit; accessible Hobbit; Tolkien & Austen; Hunt for Gollum facts; thermal insulation of hobbit holes; hobbit pinball; books & games and more...