As a fitting finale to our 5th season of Mythmakers, we’re ending with Tolkien - namely his newly edited and augmented letters. Take a listen to Julia Golding and Jacob Rennaker's 10 out of 10 review of the edition, they’ll break it down to what we learn about Middle-earth, how Middle-earth influenced his view of our real world events, his relationships (particularly with his family) the wars and all aspect to the letters - there's so much to discuss and to enjoy! Stay tuned for two particularly shocking details buried in the letters about hobbits and horses…   If you’re interested in the audio version mentioned, visit the link for a closer look: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/The-Letters-of-J-R-R-Tolkien-Audiobook/B0CTNYDDKT   For more information on the Oxford Centre for Fantasy, our writing courses, and to check out our awesome social media content visit: Website: https://centre4fantasy.com/website Instagram: https://centre4fantasy.com/Instagram Facebook: https://centre4fantasy.com/Facebook TikTok: https://centre4fantasy.com/tiktok   0:00 Introduction to Mythmakers 2:11 Personalized Narration in Audiobook 3:34 Breaking Down Tolkien's Life in Letters 3:54 Tolkien's Views on Creativity 4:45 Insightful Letters: Tolkien vs. Other Literary Collections 5:34 Tolkien's Self-Deprecation and Passion in Letters 6:39 Emotional Range in Tolkien's Letters 8:24 Phases of Tolkien's Correspondents 13:45 Tolkien's Writing Process: Characters and Imagination 15:18 Tolkien's Unrevealed Stories and World Building 16:36 Tolkien's Lens on the World: War and Nature 16:36 Tolkien's Lens on the World: War and Nature (Continued) 23:52 Recommendation to Read Tolkien's Letters 26:56 Tolkien's Fatherly Concern in Letters 28:53 Tolkien's Letter on Faith and Angels 30:42 Tolkien's Reflections on Character Motives 32:04 Gollum's Near-Repentance in Tolkien's Eyes 56:37 Retirement and Lasting Legacy 1:01:06 Shadowfax's Journey to Valinor 1:02:31 Unique Delivery Methods in the Wizarding World