Hello all! I’ve been thinking… (my husband dreads hearing that sentence from me!) so I thought out loud to Guylty, because that’s what friends do (listen politely to each other’s insane ramblings). instead of running away though, she actually took my thoughts seriously! not only that but she built upon them, and after a few e-mails back and forth, a legitimate idea was formed between us. We’d like to share that idea with you today.
The end of an era is nearly upon us. The premiere of the final installment of the Hobbit trilogy is only two and a half months away. Most of us are looking forward to it with one eye laughing, and one eye crying. Another film with Mr A in it, that is surely a reason to be happy! But at the same time, we can anticipate not only Thorin’s fate in the film but also the end of three (or more) years immersion in Middle-Earth. It will be sad to reach the end of this long journey.
And if that makes us sad, then how sad will that be for the man who lived Thorin and acted in Middle-Earth? Is there a way of thanking him, who provided us with many hours of entertainment, who delighted us with his talent, who made Thorin come alive and who drew so many new fans to Tolkien’s world? How can we mark this end of an era in a meaningful way? With something that goes beyond the usual feedback that he receives for everything he does, and expresses the deep impact his work has had on us; hopefully brightening his day at the same time.
Guylty and I thought it might be a neat idea for us to share with Richard a celebration of Thorin, and what he has meant to us. We would like to ask for submissions of fan quotes for a coffee table type book that we will compile, print, and send off to Richard in time for the premiere of BOTFA. Our thought is for it to be a keepsake, a special memento for him. It is our intent for it to be a gift from the fans; not bringing attention to what any one of us might say but to express our gratitude as a collective whole, for his great work in the Hobbit trilogy.
We would like the contributions to be in your words, focusing on what it is about Richard’s Thorin that resonates with you, inspires you, touches you in a meaningful way. This does not exclude lightheartedness but will hopefully go beyond the mere extolling of Richard’s (admittedly) attractive exterior! The plan is to compile the fan quotes in a book, illustrated with photography that fits the themes/quotes. These thoughts can be as long or as short, as personal or as general, as polished or spontaneous, as passionate or reserved as you see fit. (for variety we might break up the longer quotes and sprinkle them through-out the book.) all fans can participate, no matter which platform you are active on or whether you actively blog or not.
This proposed book is about the message and not about the messengers, and therefore we would like to keep the spotlight on the quotes and credit them only in a list of contributors at the back of the book. credits on this list can be by real name, internet handle or anonymously. some examples:
“I admire Thorin’s dedication to his people and upholding the legacy of his family. He shouldered the responsibility of carving out a life for them in the Iron Hills but couldn’t rest until he tried to get back their good name. What lay ahead of him was perilous in the extreme, not only physically but also mentally for the affliction that destroyed his grandfather’s mind. That level of honor, to sacrifice what is already known, or safe, for something that is so much bigger than yourself, is something of Thorin that will always stay with me.”
“Thorin’s sassiness with Elrond, ‘Indeed? he made no mention of you’, always makes me laugh! It’s a perfect mix of dwarfish haughtiness and endearing charm.”
If you like this idea of ours and would like to contribute thoughts to be included in the book, I have set up a tab at the top of this blog which will take you to a page dedicated to this endeavor. There is a contact form there that you can use to send me an e-mail with your submission. you can reply with general thoughts about the project in the comment section on that page as well. we hope to hear from you soon! ~Kelbel75 & Guylty
p.s. I think it goes without saying that we would like this to be a surprise for Richard. so while we welcome and hope you help us spread the word throughout the fandom, please remember not to tag Richard directly about this in any tweets you might post on Twitter.
ETA: submissions for The Thorin Project are no longer being accepted. The book is completed and has been sent off to Richard.
Nowhere in Particular RA 