It is confirmed that the "Edge of the Wild" Tolkien and Fantasy exhibition scheduled for March 26-29 at Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire, England, has been postponed. As yet no new date has been set. The organisers acknowledge that many people will be disappointed, but circumstances were beyond their control. We will post further news as it becomes available.

The second issue of "Journal", the online magazine of Festival in the Shire, is online now and can be found here. This issue includes articles such as "'Goblin Feet', a poem by J.R.R. Tolkien" and interviews with John Howe and Ted Nasmith.

Elijah Wood was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA, on 28th January 1981 and celebrates his 29th birthday today. You can see pictures of Elijah here, pictures of him in the role of Frodo here and read his cast bio here.

Happy birthday Elijah!

Cinematical is reporting that once again The Hobbit's release date is being pushed back. Predictions are now for 2012! You can read more here.

Both Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro have put paid to the rumors that Tobey Maguire has been cast as Bilbo in the forthcoming movies of The Hobbit. Whilst auditions are taking place the news as to who will be Bilbo is not expected for a month or two.

You can read the full story here.

Today, 13th January, is Orlando Bloom's birthday. Orlando was born in Canterbury, England, on the 13th of January, 1977 and is 33 today.

You can read Orlando's cast biography here. There are pictures of Orlando here and pictures of Orlando in the role of Legolas here.

Happy Birthday Orlando!

The launch issue of the online magazine, "Festival in the Shire", is now posted. Like the Festival itself, the magazine is intended to both reflect and nourish the wide interests of those who find inspiration from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien--the full range of his fiction and his scholarship. We are planning to add further sections to the magazine, so your suggestions on what we should include are welcome.

You can read the first issue here.

Hobbit movie release dates, who will be appearing as who, and rumors on when production will begin have all been floating around--fortunately, we're getting a few little tidbits of information in at a time.

Yes, this time it is accurate to say that production (filming) will begin in June of this year! That is, we'll all cross our fingers so that everything stays on track (despite MGM's financial burdens). Let's keep our ears open for cast news as well--they'll have to be quick to keep up with their June production date.

You can read more on it here.

Today, 3rd January, is the birthday of J.R.R. Tolkien. He was born 118 years ago on 3rd January 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The Tolkien Society suggest that at 9pm in your local time you raise a glass and celebrate his life and work with a toast to “The Professor”.

Commenting on his award of a knighthood in the New Year Honors sir Peter Jackson said; “This is an incredible moment in my life. I didn't think anything would surpass the 2004 Academy Awards, but I was wrong. The feeling of gratitude and pride I have in accepting this honour from my home country is profound."

You can read the full storyhere.

Peter Jackson has been awarded a knighthood in the New Zealand honors list. In the citation for his knighthood it was noted that PJ: "continued to excel in and significantly contribute to the New Zealand film industry". You can read further details here .

Moviefone ranks the top movies of the 2000's. Click here to find out where the movies placed and what the #1 movie is!

The holiday edition of Tolkien's only pdf fan magazine is out and ready for download. Don't miss over 100 pages of Lord of the Rings goodies from the quills of our own CoE members. You can download the magazine here or discuss it on our forums. Enjoy!

January 3rd, 2010 is J.R.R. Tolkien's birthday. At 9pm (local times) on January 3rd fans around the world are invited to raise a glass and toast J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday with the words -- “The Professor."

The Tolkien Society has some information, found here, where fans across the globe can let other fans know where they’ll be celebrating if they’re hosting a party, and fans will be able to check the website and see who is celebrating where and if they wish to get in touch and join in.

More news, info, and an event page can be found here.

The Tolkien Society wishes you all a Merry Yule!

Tobey Maguire (of Spider-Man fame) has denied rumors that he is going to play the role of Bilbo in the forthcoming The Hobbit movies. This article at Guardian.co.uk discusses who else has been rumored to be in line for the role of Bilbo and highlights some of the other key roles in The Hobbit.