Tolkien's Reception in Portuguese
On 25th November (5pm Corpus Christi College) Samuel Sant Ana, a visiting PhD student from Brasil, will give us a special lecture on "Middle-earth in Brazil and Beyond: Tolkien's Reception in Portuguese".
Abstract
This lecture offers an overview of the reception of J.R.R. Tolkien's works in Brazil, with particular attention to academic scholarship and publishing practices. By tracing the history of Tolkien's publication in the country and engaging with the bibliographical study of Rossi and Stainle (2021), we examine how Brazilian Tolkienian studies have developed in relation to their cultural and institutional context. This trajectory reveals Brazil as the largest Portuguese‑speaking community to host and disseminate Tolkien's works, marked by a vibrant interplay between fandom, translation, and academic inquiry. The lecture concludes by addressing a central question: why has Tolkien achieved such enduring popularity in Brazil? We suggest that the multiplicity of translations, the responsiveness of publishing houses, and the growing interest in academic approaches to Tolkien's themes together account for the remarkable expansion of his readership. In doing so, the lecture situates Brazilian Tolkien studies within broader Lusophone and international reception histories.