We are so used to thinking of Tolkien being all about the past - old languages, old stories and no post-Shakespearean literature going into his cauldron of story-making, but of course that is wrong. Meet Dr Holly Ordway, whose fantastic book, Tolkien's Modern Reading, is a scholarly and entertaining exploration of the breadth of books in many genres that Tolkien was reading. From The Land of Snergs, to Swallows and Amazons, to Agatha Christie, he was catholic in his tastes, in the sense of universal. 
Follow our wide-ranging discussion from the books of Tolkien's youth, to those he read his children, and on to the adult novels he read and appreciates - as well as those he didn't like. Stick around to find out where we would set a boys' own adventure!

(00:05) Exploring Tolkien's Modern Reading
(10:13) Influences on Tolkien's Writing
(24:59) Tolkien's Diverse Reading Influences
(42:26) Adventure Influences in Tolkien's World

Find out more about Holly and her works here: https://www.wordonfire.org/tolkien/

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