J.R.R. Tolkien The Real Middle Earth
“The Battle For Middle Earth” Radio Documentary, Switch 107.5 FM
Radio Documentary for Switch 107.5 FM Birmingham -
Larry visits sites of historic importance in Tolkien's early years in Birmingham and talks with local historian Chris Upton - in an attempt to reclaim the title of the "Middle Earth".
Includes comments from Tolkien's great-nephew Tim Tolkien, along with author Helen Cross, Brian Gambles from the Birmingham Library, Philip Benjamin-Coker from Weoley Castle Library and Vivienne Wilkes, chairman of the 2012 Middle Earth Weekend organising committee.
Tolkien's Birmingham Radio Documentary · Switch Community Radio, Birmingham · 2012
J.R.R. Tolkien — author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion — is among the most influential writers of the twentieth century. His work has reached successive new audiences through Peter Jackson's cinematic adaptations, shot entirely in New Zealand, which together became the highest-grossing motion picture trilogy of all time. The final film in the first series, The Return of the King, received eleven Academy Awards.
The inspiration behind those books and films, however, can be traced not to New Zealand but to South Birmingham — where Tolkien grew up, and where the landscapes, architecture, and atmosphere of his childhood quietly shaped the world he would go on to create.
To mark the UK release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 2012, Coley produced this documentary for Switch, a Birmingham community radio station — examining the origins of Tolkien's mythology in the city and making the case for Birmingham's claim to Middle Earth alongside Wellington's. The documentary features Larry Rew as presenter and includes a rare interview with Tolkien's great-nephew, Tim Tolkien, secured by Dan Collins.
Coley subsequently produced a series of short films for the Library of Birmingham, exploring Tolkien's early years in the city and the enduring influence of Birmingham on his writing. Those clips are available below.
1. The Early Years
2. Local Landmarks
3. Kinver Rock Houses
4. Middle Earth Weekend
5. Vivienne Wilkes
