A few months ago I attended a talk by Professor Colin Groves of the Australian National University: 'An update on Homo floresiensis, a.k.a. the "Hobbit"'. As is well known, there has been an unusually bitter scientific debate over the last couple of years as to whether the hobbit is indeed a new species, or just a small microcephalic human. The term 'microcephaly' covers a range of conditions which cause unusually small brain sizes. (Disclaimer: Groves is not a disinterested participant in this debate, having coauthored a paper which argues against the microcephalic interpretation.) Groves went over a long list of unusual features of the hobbit. ...

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The actor who played ‘Gollum’ in The Lord of the Rings, Andy Serkis, will give a LIVE reading of The Hobbit, from cover to cover, for charity May 8.

The post ‘Gollum’ Actor Andy Serkis Plans a Live Reading of ‘The Hobbit’ –There And Back Again– Friday For Charity appeared first on Good News Network.

Updated at 6:12 p.m. ET Andy Serkis, the physically nimble actor largely known for his CGI-assisted roles, did some quarantine reading, performing the entirety of The Hobbit in a livestream on Friday. On a Gofundme page established for the event, Serkis wrote that he would conduct the 12-hour marathon reading of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy novel to raise funds for COVID-19 relief efforts. Depending on his copy, that's some 300 pages of Bilbo Baggins' adventure from his humble hobbit hole in the Shire to the mountain lair of the fearsome dragon Smaug – and back again, read and performed by Serkis. The actor began reading the novel at around 10 a.m. in the United Kingdom (that's 5 a.m. ET). "Together we'll face the might of the trolls, journey to the magical Rivendell, encounter the giant spiders in the labyrinths of Mirkwood, and the evil goblins living among the roots of the Misty Mountains, until we meet the dragon Smaug, and see the Battle of the Five Armies," Serkis wrote on

THE HOBBIT is exactly the story we need to escape from normal life - and now Andy Serkis will take on a mammoth reading.

LORD OF THE RINGS Gollum actor Andy Serkis has announced he will read JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit in one sitting live online for charity.

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On bank holiday... Friday. For NHS charities.

The actor, best known for playing Gollum in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, will read the entire JRR Tolkien novel

Andy Serkis is to give a continuous, live reading of The Hobbit – lasting around 12 hours – in aid of charity. The actor, best known as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, will read the entire book from start to finish with no breaks.

Money raised from the performance will be split equally between NHS Charities Together and Best Beginnings.

The star will read the entire Tolkien book from start to finish with no breaks.

Andy Serkis is taking part in the ambitious 12-hour challenge to raise money for a pair of charities during the coronavirus lockdown.

The actor will read the whole book from start to finish to raise money.

The actor said he was 'truly humbled' by the response.

The star is best known for his role as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films

Andy Serkis has promised fans a "special surprise" if they hit his $123,600 (£100,000) fundraising target.

Andy Serkis, who plays Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" films, announced that he will livestream a reading of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit" on Friday.

If you loved The Unexpected Party sequence from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey then our friends from Weta Workshop have something for you. You can now buy a board game version of this sequence in the film. The purpose of this game is to be the first person to complete all 15 lines of the […]

Ever generous with his time and talent, Andy Serkis is hosting a #hobbithon of sorts and reading the entirety of The Hobbit for 12 hours – right now! In a message to his fans, Andy writes: So many of us are struggling in isolation during the lockdown. While times are tough, I want to take […]

Very, very precious. Andy Serkis will start his "armchair marathon" reading of The Hobbit on Friday morning.

The Lord Of The Rings star, 56, took to Twitter on Thursday to reveal his plans for the 'hobbitathon' on May 8, which will see him read the classic from start to finish with no breaks for 12 hours.

Serkis says he won't go hungry throughout the event.

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Hayden Library - PN1997.2.H6333 A1 2015

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