There is an annual festival in Birmingham which celebrates JRR Tolkien’s connections to the city. In an effort to attract even more visitors the event organisers have changed its name to Middle Earth Weekend. The festivities will cover two days and will focus on Tolkien’s use of the city’s landmarks. Dave Corby, the chairman of the planning committee said that permission had been gained from the Tolkien Estate to use the name Tolkien - "The estate was very helpful and said there was no issue with copyright. But we wanted to change the name to broaden the appeal of the event".

Middle Earth Weekend will take place on May 17 and 18 at Sarehole Mill in Hall Green.