"Look at it this way"

Still one of the best writtten descriptions of landscape in 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, and a book I first read aged about 9, and own in a very expensive single volume luxury edition which was a 21st birthday present. Today marks 50 years since the death of legendary writer J.R.R. Tolkien. From dramatic caves, looming towers, and ancient monuments, here are the historical sites in England where you can experience a glimpse of Tolkien's Middle-Earth. ⬇️ https://t.co/luGloKhM00 — Historic England (@HistoricEngland) September 2, 2023

"It was a land of lush meadows, dark woods and dazzling rivers, flanked on one side by “the Lonely Mountains” and on the other by cave-studded coves where “every wave that dies on the beach sings a little song to a shell.” A lovely piece on Finland and the search for Moominland by Dan Roberts. In the Economist's 1843 magazine section. “I only want to live in peace, plant potatoes and dream,” Moomintroll

This exhibition took place in 2015, but is available virtually. Maps of imaginary places have accompanied literature for centuries.  Visualizing the fanciful worlds described in works of fiction sets the stage for events taking place in a story, and often provides insight into the characters themselves.  In this exhibition of forty items, visitors will discover maps from a variety of fictional genres, learn how authors create imaginary worlds, and appreciate why descriptive geography is essential to the story. People and creatures, even those who exist only in tales, are related to place, and maps of their imaginary worlds allow readers to be transported into the geography of fantasy. And this is just one of several exhibitions which can be visited virtually  at the same venue. This one on Geography in the Classroom is particularly good. I like the look of this game Thanks to David Cooper for the tipoff.

Havergey by John Burnside from Roseanne Watt on Vimeo . "On the small and remote island of Havergey, a few years from now, a community of survivors from a great human catastrophe has created new lives and a new world in a landscape renewed after millennia of human exploitation. To this strange new land comes a traveller from our own time, bewildered by what he finds, and an object of curiosity for the inhabitants, especially the one assigned to watch over him, as he spends his first weeks on the island in Quarantine. Left alone with a history of the community and its roots, he uncovers truths and new mysteries about the people he has encountered, their forebears and the last throes of the old world. In this new novella, the acclaimed poet, novelist and critic brings his unique sensibility to the idea of utopia. A timely reminder about how precious and precarious our world is, it’s also a rejection of the idea of human supremacy over landscape and wildlife." Published b...

I'm about to head into a catch-up of the first three seasons of Game of Thrones , as the 4th season starts on Sky Atlantic. I don't have Sky, so this is my option for catching up with a lot of my colleagues... I've got a large poster map for my classroom wall, and a proposed unit on mapping of fictional landscapes, which will also form part of my presentation at the SAGT conference later in the year. There's also been a rise in tourism in Iceland and Northern Ireland: two of the key locations where the series is made. (Thanks to Rebekah Chew for the tipoff here) Iceland's tourist board says it's seen an increase in the number of people wanting to go on tours of locations where the show was shot. While, the film industry in Northern Ireland says it's helped increase employment in the area. But it's also helped spread the country's cinematic reputation around the world. Meanwhile I've got the first book on my Kindle, and am looking ...