Ritual Meals in the Fantasy of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis

As part of the Anchorage Public Library’s Expanding Horizons Lecture Series, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Gregory Hartley for a captivating exploration of food, fellowship, and meaning in the works of two of the 20th century’s most beloved fantasy authors.

Read any of JRR Tolkien’s or CS Lewis’s novels and you will eventually discover that both authors consistently craft lovingly-detailed descriptions of food. These include sumptuous feasts, magical Pilot Bread, even sinfully addictive candy. Reread those books often, and you may even discover patterns beginning to emerge, leading some to ask, “What’s going on here?” Dr. Hartley will identify those patterns and explore what they could mean, both in the context of the worlds both men created and in the larger patterns of society and worldview.

About the Speaker:

Gregory Hartley is an associate professor in the Department of Writing at the University of Alaska Anchorage. His research interests are broad, but often circle around food studies, children’s fiction, and world-building. His most recent article uncovered the history of biscuits and gravy in the state of Alaska.