Tolkien Day, which honours the work of fantasy writer J.R.R. Tolkien, will be celebrated at Helsinki Central Library Oodi on international Tolkien Reading Day on Friday, 25 March at 16:00–21:00. The event will be held in Oodi for the first time.

“J.R.R. Tolkien has been moving people for almost a hundred years, and his work deserves a special day. The TV series to be released in the autumn has attracted a lot of discussion and increased readers’ interest in Tolkien’s production. The themes of Tolkien’s stories touch the age-old struggle between light and shadow, with which new readers can also identify. Our goal is to make Oodi’s Tolkien Day an annual tradition, and we hope that it will spread to other libraries,” says Milli Mäntynen, Specialized Assistant Librarian at Oodi.

Participants in the event, which will spread out all over Oodi, can practice Elvish language, role-play and attend a Tom Bombadil-themed poetry reading and a concert by the Another Castle choir. The Urban Workshop will offer many Tolkien-related things to see and do. A discussion in Maijansali will analyse Tolkien film adaptations throughout the years, and book exhibitions will feature material related to Tolkien. On Saturday, 26 March, Oodi will host a celebratory seminar of the Finnish Tolkien Society Kontu, which is also open to everyone.

“We invite everyone who is interested in the subject to join us for the Tolkien celebration. We hope that Oodi will be filled with all kinds of hobbits, wizards, elves and orcs. Dressing according to the theme is definitely allowed, but not mandatory,” says Mäntynen.

Admission to the event is free.

Oodi’s Tolkien Day program:

Book Heaven, 3rd floor

16–16.30 Tom Bombadil poems

Author Mixu Lauronen reads and recites Tolkien’s poems on Tom Bombadil’s Adventures.
Programme is in Finnish.

Maijansali, 1st floor

17–17.45 Another Castle -choir

Helsinki’s most nerd female choir Another Castle sings tunes from Central Finland and other magical worlds! The concert will feature a selection of music not only from the Hobbit and the Tale of the Lord of the Rings films, but also from other fantasy series and films inspired by Tolkien. The concert is suitable for all ages.

18–19 Tolkien films throughout the ages

Miikka Uotila and Jaakko Pirinen from the Finnish Tolkien Society Kontu ry discuss everything that has been published before Jackson’s films on the big screen and on TV.
The programme is in Finnish.

Group room 3, 2nd floor

17–20 Elven Language Workshop: That’s What I’m Tolkien About – Introduction to Quenya

The workshops are group lead but Hosted by Steve Maher. There is no expert or fluent speaker of the language present, we learn together using resources and guidance provided by the host. During these workshops we will learn the basics of grammar and vocabulary of Quenya.

Pre-registration: register here. The workshop is in English.

A second workshop of the same format will be held on Saturday 26.3. 2pm to 5pm
You can register for Saturday’s workshop here.

Learning space 3, 2nd floor

17–21 Oneshot -Roleplaying Games

Oodi’s Oneshot roleplaying club hosts Tolkien-themed table role-playing games. The games are suitable for both beginners and roleplaying veterans.

Detailed descriptions of the games and registration as a player 11.3. from the club’s own FB group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/oodin.oneshot.roolipelikerho
Programme is in Finnish.

Urban workshop, 2nd floor

18–20 Konehuone open doors

Come and see Oodi’s UV printer and laser cutter. You can see and how the devices work and get a little Tolkien themed token.