University Centre Shrewsbury to celebrate The Hobbit's birthday

To mark the 80th birthday of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit the University Centre Shrewsbury (UCS) will be hosting a talk to explore why the idea of home was so important to the much-loved author.

The Hobbit, first published on September 21 1937, is subtitled There and Back Again. Among other things, it prompts the reader to think about the nature of home and the homely, a theme which Tolkien elaborates in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings.

Professor Chris Walsh will present a free lecture on the idea of home in Tolkien’s Middle-earth writings, on September 20 at Rowley’s House. The talk at the Barker Street building will run from 1pm to 2pm.

Prof Walsh was head of English and dean of humanities at the University of Chester. He has published widely on Victorian and modern fiction and poetry. Among his publications are The Practice of Reading: Interpreting the Novel (with Derek Alsop) and ‘From Mind to Mind’: Robert Browning and JRR Tolkien.

Booking for the ‘JRR Tolkien and the Idea of Home’ lecture is essential. To book places, email [email protected] or call 01743 297185.

Alternatively, people can visit the reception at Guildhall in Frankwell Quay which is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Thursday and from 9am to 4pm on Fridays.