The Return of the Ring

A Gathering of Friends

Celebrating Tolkien in 2012

Loughborough University, 16^th–20^th August 2012

Progress Report 1 is now ready to download.

OY! TOLKIENISTAS!

You want a conference in 2012? Well, it's up to you. Yes you. If YOU don't volunteer to be chair, it ain't gonna happen.

Oh, and we need someone for Treasurer, too.

What's involved? Ask Pat (email address below). She will bribe you with chocolates and an offer to check the references in your thesis. Even if you do present it to her 10 hours before submission deadline.

2012: The Return of the Ring needs a chairman and a treasurer.

Pat Reynolds has been doing a wonderful job of keeping the 2012 sub-comm going for the last year, but now she has to concentrate on her MBA, and can't carry on being Chair beyond the AGM. With slightly less urgency, she must also give up the Treasurer's job, and concentrate on being Deputy Chair and other roles on the subcommittee.

Both roles are vital to the event continuing. If we don't find someone to fill them in the next couple of months, then we will probably have to cancel the event. (Obviously if we do, then all registrations already paid will be refunded in full.)

Otherwise, we have a full team, who are lovely, able, and enthusiastic. If YOU volunteer for chair (or treasurer) we will be recruiting volunteers for some other roles in a few months, so if you really can't volunteer for Chair or Treasurer, nag your partner/friend/parent into doing that, and volunteer for something else later.

As the 2012 sub-comm is an international group, the Chair will need to have regular internet access to keep in touch with everyone. The Treasurer needs to operate the bank account, so this post requires UK residency or potentially job-sharing with a UK resident..

If anyone can help please contact Pat on pat.reynolds@tolkiensociety.org or Stephie on stephie.coane@tolkiensociety.org by the 6th April, 2010.

About The Return of the Ring

We wanted to have another big event like Tolkien 2005, so after a bit of who's interested in organising something? and when can we do it? The Return of the Ring was born.

A number of venues were considered, including Aston University which we used for Tolkien 2005 and Warwick University. But we eventually chose Loughborough University as it came out best on a number of aspects, including affordability, range and flexibility of function rooms and accommodation.

The dates were chosen to tie in with the London 2012 Olympics. It is hoped that people attending The Return of the Ring can take advantage of cheap and available transport to the UK through larger numbers returning home from the UK after the London Olympics. Also linking the dates in this way it is hoped that the environmental impact from several hundred people travelling to the UK will be kept to a minimum

We are planning on including a variety of different activities. (more info)

We have a number of people involved in organising things so far. (more info)

Would you like to help us (either on the committee in advance or at the event), or submit a paper; do you have any professional services that you think we might find useful? (Volunteer to help us to run the conference).

A map showing Loughborough University.