On Tuesday, May 16^th Maria Dahvana Headley delivered the 2023 J.R.R. Tolkien Lecture on Fantasy Literature at Pembroke College, Oxford. 

It was wonderful to have Maria at Pembroke and to listen her engaging lecture about storytelling, magic, and monsters. Many thanks Maria for the inspiring lecture and taking the time to travel to Oxford, engaging the lecture attendees and simply being delightful. 

We are also grateful to our sponsors: Pembroke College Annual Fund, The Kadas Family Charitable Foundation, and everyone who donated when they booked their tickets. The Tolkien lecture series would not be possible without them. 

We also thank Pembroke College librarian Laura Cracknell, and archivist Amanda Ingram for the fantastic Tolkien display. Additionally, many thanks to events, catering, and communications teams at Pembroke. 

And of course, thank you everyone who attended the lecture in person, or via livestream. It is always a pleasure to see so many people. If you missed the lecture, or simply would like to watch it again, the recording is available here. 

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_{Photography by Gabriel Schenk}