I am ALSO a journalist

[oloriel]

The annoying thing about volunteering as a web journalist with your club of choice (the German Tolkien Society in this case) is that you regularly have to make time for "editorial team" meetings via Skype, that you have to run after topics, and that the people you have to run after for news don't always take you seriously because you are not writing for any "serious" medium. ALso, your husband may occasionally grouse because you invest time and effort and get no money for it.

The GOOD thing is that sometimes they DO take you seriously, which is why I got a folder of images from the Maker of Middle-earth exhibition AND the exhibition catalogue (it's got 416 pages, is that still a catalogue?) as a pdf file? Just because I am going to write an article about MoMe for the German Tolkien Society page. HOW AWESOME IS THAT? I am obviously not allowed to share it, but I can ogle it at leisure!
(I'm always surprised when things work out, OK?)

Incidentally, the catalogue is GORGEOUS and you should all buy it, ESPECIALLY those who can't make it to the exhibition, but also those who've seen it and chafed at the No Photography rule! Hint hint nudge nudge. There's SO MUCH in there, hot damn. If you order via the Bodleian directly, you can also buy a softcover edition which only costs 25 Pounds (rather than 40 for the hardcover - although it's totally worth it). Amazon etc. only have the hardcover.

Comments

[heartofoshun]

Congrats on writing the article. I am sure it will be terrific--your informal notes here were great. I would love to get my hands on a PDF. I will definitely check out what is available through the Bodleian. Although hard or soft cover doesn't matter to me, except for the price difference. What I really need is something that is viewable on a desktop. Be interesting to see what the Morgan Library & Museum will have available eventually--the same or a different catalog.

[grundyscribbling]

You got the catalog as a PDF? I’m a bit jealous! (I’ve already bought mine - got the softcover due to weight considerations.) Be warned, I’m pretty sure there’s a few things in the exhibition NOT in the catalog. That was the only reason I chafed at the no photography rule!

Also, I spent much of Oxonmoot hanging out with German Tolkien Society folk. (They pointed out several that *their* event is held in July, when it’s much warmer... I have made no promises, but I am keeping it in mind.)

[oloriel]

Heh! I was travelling with a light backpack so I could buy neither, though I'll order the proper book online once my finances have recovered from the Oxford trip!

Well, the official press release says "The book is lavishly illustrated with over 300 images of Tolkien’s manuscripts, drawings, maps and letters, of which nearly two-thirds of the images will be on display in the much-anticipated exhibition at the Bodleian Libraries which opens on 1st June 2018." As a non-native speaker, I'd interpret this as "two-thirds of the material in the book will be on display", suggesting that the book contains... one-third more material? (A preliminary browsing of the book in Oxford did show some images that I didn't recall from the exhibition, though of course there was so much that I may well have overlooked something!) But of course, precisely the one piece you're looking for is probably absent! (The Sarati note I was hoping for is in it, whee!)

Heh! I have yet to attend a Tolkien Thing here - it's generally at the same time as Drachenfest - but yes, the weather tends to play along. ^^

[oloriel]

I like it very much, at any rate! Now I just hope they'll publish it in a timely manner (rather than after the exhibition is over :P)

I expect they'll be selling the catalogue in NYC as well! They're both the same size, so the difference in readability should be minimal. The paperback is just, well, not a hardcover. The exhibition is announced to be the same, so I doubt they'll print a different book for the American market...

[grundyscribbling]

I’m sure the catalog will be the same. But I’m waiting to see what the pricing is on the books/gift shop items when the show comes to NYC - hoping they pull the trick of just changing the £ sign to a $ sign! (Even if they don’t, it will still be easier for me to get a mug or print home from NYC than from Oxford!)