by InTrieste
A new literary workshop inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings will launch on Tuesday, Nov. 4, inviting readers to step into Middle-earth not merely as spectators but as participants in an introspective journey.
The program, curated by scholar Claudia Giordani, is part of “L’Officina della Lettura,” a reading-focused initiative funded by CEPELL (Italy’s Center for Books and Reading) under the “Città che legge 2024” grant. Hosted at the Salone degli Incanti, the workshop is free and open to the public with advance reservation.
Rather than a conventional reading group, the series aims to examine Tolkien’s epic through a psychological and symbolic lens. Participants will explore the characters and narrative structures of the trilogy while reflecting on their own inner landscapes. Each attendee, Giordani suggests, embarks on a journey akin to the Fellowship’s, discovering the “ring” they carry metaphorically — a personal burden, gift or responsibility.
Across five two-hour meetings, readers will be encouraged to engage in what organizers describe as a mirrored reading experience, finding elements of themselves in the saga’s heroes, wanderers and unlikely champions. The sessions intend to underscore literature’s ability to illuminate aspects of personal identity and human experience.
The meetings will be held from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on:
- Tuesday, Nov. 4
- Tuesday, Nov. 11
- Tuesday, Nov. 25
- Thursday, Dec. 4
- Thursday, Dec. 11
The workshop coincides with the exhibition Tolkien. Uomo, Professore, Autore (Tolkien. Man, Professor, Author), currently on view at the Salone degli Incanti through Jan. 11, 2026. The exhibition highlights Tolkien’s life, scholarship and enduring cultural legacy.
Giordani, a member of the Italian Society for the History of Religions, has published works on early Christian thought, including Il cristianesimo egiziano di Aquileia (2020) and Croce e caduceo. Hermes e Gesù nei cristianesimi delle origini(2024), which examine intersections of early Christian and Hermetic traditions. Her upcoming book, co-authored with Luigi Zumbo and to be published by Lindau Edizioni, explores the subconscious origins of Middle-earth.
The workshop aims to bridge literary appreciation with personal reflection, offering participants a structured, communal space to engage with one of the most influential fantasy works of the 20th century. In the process, organizers hope to demonstrate how epic storytelling can continue to resonate deeply with modern readers — not only as an adventure tale, but as a vehicle for self-understanding.
