The National Library of Foreign Literature (OIK), in collaboration with the Hungarian Tolkien Society, will host a full day of family programmes and present their new Tolkien collection this Saturday.
The Tolkien Day, evoking the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, will feature presentations, workshops, a Tolkien-inspired board game corner, special language lessons, as well as handicraft activities and film replicas, following the presentation of the nearly 100-volume collection deposited by the Hungarian Tolkien Society at the National Library of Foreign Literature, the National Széchényi Library (OSZK) said in a press release.
Visitors can create souvenir cards with Elvish script, learn the secrets of Elvish braiding, participate in quizzes and group singing, and browse through the products offered at the Middle-earth market. Additionally, there will be bead threading and bookmark making activities. According to the OSZK’s announcement, the entertaining family day aims to promote reading, foster creativity, support the interest in language learning, and introduce foreign language literature and music.
Operating as a unit of the OSZK, the National Library of Foreign Literature is one of the youngest institutions among Hungary’s public specialist libraries, tasked with collecting original-language documents primarily focused on contemporary world literature, music, and linguistics. Furthermore, it coordinates the activities of ethnic libraries in Hungary. Alongside these responsibilities, the institution also performs public library functions, regularly organizing concerts, reading sessions, and book presentations, as stated in the announcement.
J.R.R. Tolkien, born on 3 January 1892 in South Africa was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien’s literary career began with his academic pursuits in philology, where he specialized in Old and Middle English literature. His fascination with language and mythology heavily influenced his fictional writing.
Tolkien’s works revolutionized the fantasy genre, inspiring generations of readers and writers with his richly imagined worlds, complex characters, and profound themes of friendship, heroism, and the struggle between good and evil. Beyond his fiction, Tolkien’s academic contributions to philology, particularly his study of Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse literature, remain highly regarded in academic circles.
Tolkien passed away on 2 September 1973, leaving behind a lasting legacy as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century and a pioneer of modern fantasy literature.
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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/OIK/MTI
