About

The address of this blog declares the original focus of my academic research which was in medieval drama, but medieval studies, Shakespeare, and poetry made up a large part of my studies and wider interests. Besides all these, the great impulse behind my studies was my fascination with Tolkien, and while I have regretfully drifted away from research into medieval drama, I have kept up my enthusiasm for Poetry, Shakespeare and Tolkien by writing and publishing on these topics and by running reading groups on them in the local Central Library.  The Poetry group is now run by one of its founder members, but I still participate. The Tolkien group is also ably administered now by another founder member, and for all the groups I have created and maintain blogs.

A few biographical details follow:

After gaining my PhD in Transgressive Language in Medieval English Drama under the supervision of Prof. John McGavin and Dr. Peter Happe, and the guidance of Prof. Bella Millett, at the University of Southampton, I went on to teach at the University, at King Alfred’s College, (now University of Winchester) and at New College, Southampton. I subsequently turned my attention to writing full-time.

I had been writing on and teaching courses on medieval and renaissance drama and literature that included Chaucer, Marlowe, Shakespeare, medieval ‘mystery’ plays, interludes, and moralities. At New College I also taught courses on 18th century female novelists, and taught widely on the Adult Continuing Education programme.

Having ‘retired’, I soon found a need to balance writing with other activities and took on the role of The Tolkien Society’s education secretary. As part of this role, I then launched the Southampton Tolkien Reading Group, now known to its members as the ‘Southfarthing smial’, in keeping with its primary interest Tolkien’s writing. The group continues to meet twice a month in the Central Library and its discussions range widely across Tolkien’s work, biography, sources, influences, and themes. After each meeting I write a report which is posted on the group’s blog SouthfarthingMathom2012.wordpress.com

This group then served as a spur to launch a Shakespeare Reading Group, and this was followed by a Poetry Reading Group – both meeting once a month. Both have their own blogs so that members can keep up-to-date on what the group has been doing each month if they have to be away. the Shakespeare blog is Lynn’s Shakespeare Reading Group

The poetry blog can be found at The Poetry Reading Group Southampton

In the reduced role as Tolkien Society education officer, I also participated in organising the Education sessions for the Tolkien conference that celebrated the 75th anniversary of the publication of The Hobbit. This event was held at Loughborough University.

I later acted a first point of contact between the Society and The Vyne, Basingstoke. This National Trust property approached the Society with a view to collaboration in an event celebrating Tolkien’s connection with The Vyne. This led eventually to two filmed interviews, one in Oxford, and one at The Vyne with Professor Mark Horton. Following this interview we co-wrote and published an article on Tolkien and the Vyne Ring that appeared in History Today.

Meanwhile, from 2008 I offered my own short courses on English literature of all kinds through the generous provision of free teaching space by the Central Library. These courses ended in 2016 owing to research and domestic pressures.

After the major Tolkien conference in 2012, known as The Return of the Ring, I edited the Proceedings, which appeared in 2014.

My translation of the medieval romance of Bevis of Hampton was published in 2015 as a limited edition especially for Southampton’s first literary festival. Copies are lodged with the British Library and at the Hartley Library at the University of Southampton.

As a result of this book I participated in the first Southampton Literary Festival, So:To Speak. I was then contacted by the local playwright Matt Beames and acted as adviser for a graphic comic version of the Bevis story. The launch of this innovative treatment was broadcast on BBC South Today and I was briefly interviewed along with Matt and Marcus the artist.

I was also interviewed at some length for the online publicity for an event in 2016 relating to Henry V, who is believed to have been devoted to the Bevis story in his youth.

Bevis, or rather, his earliest incarnation Boeve de Haumtone, has rather taken over my research life, and updates on my ongoing research can be found at Bevis of Hampton-local hero. This proceeds very slowly, although I recently made a small breakthough when I discovered the source of the hero’s name and elements of his fictional biography.

Meanwhile I am remain deeply committed to contributing to Tolkien studies whenever possible, and hope to extend this in the near future.