Seminar: Chatterton's Forgery, Feigned Manuscripts and Literary Legacy: The Case of J.R.R. Tolkien

UWE Reginal History Centre Seminar Series 2011-12

UWE Regional History Centre, in association with M Shed brings you a series of free seminars.

In association with the Thomas Chatterton Society
Dr Dimitra Fimi (University of Wales Institue, Cardiff)

Chatterton's Forgery, Feigned Manuscripts and Literary Legacy: The Case of J.R.R. Tolkien - Thursday 15 March

Chatterton's forged manuscripts created an imaginary persona and a pseudo-medieval 'secondary' world. The impact on his career can be compared to that of Macpherson's Ossian poems, and other comtemporary feigned documents, often linked to the pursuit of national identity. J.R.R. Tolkien's 'secondary' world of Middle-earth can be read as part of the same legacy of forged/faked/feigned manuscripts, giving his invented cosmos a sense of historically that goes beyond imagination. This talk will therefore explore the tensions between 'real' and imaginary, feigned and forged, history and fantasy.

This is a public event at M Shed, admission free, all welcome. If you would like further information about the series or the Regional History Centre at UWE, please contact steve.poole@uwe.ac.uk