Oxonmoot 2022

Tolkien’s works have been appreciated by medievalists and Fantasy enthusiasts, as works of spiritual significance, and as intrinsically informed by the mindset of the interwar period. This paper considers whether we also appreciate Tolkien’s works as Camp art. This approach looks at Tolkien’s works of fiction and his published essays through the lens of Susan Sontag’s seminal essay "Notes on ‘Camp’". It is through this essay that we can examine why Tolkien’s works appeal to a Camp sensibility. This paper will discuss Tolkien’s perspective on aesthetic delight in conversation with delight in the ordinary and mundane. Theatricality in relation to Faërian drama is also a fundamental aspect this reading, as well as the role that the success or otherwise of artistic goals plays in Camp appreciation.