Rings Trilogy Coup for City Library
Staff Reporter

Palmerston North city library has pulled off a huge publicity coup by staging a public reading of J R R Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy with principal cast member John Rhys-Davies reading the first chapter.

The mammoth reading starts at the library tomorrow and will continue over four or five days.

Fifty local and national personalities and literary figures will take part.

City librarian Anthony Lewis said the library wanted to pay tribute to Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson and the cast and crew, several of whom come from Palmerston North.

Rhys-Davies will start reading at noon. Centrepoint Theatre members will continue during the afternoon.

Mr Lewis said the library was building its own set to provide the right atmosphere for the occasion.

Rhys-Davies, who plays the role of Gimli the dwarf, has more than 80 film credits to his name including a couple of Indiana Jones movies, the James Bond movie The Living Daylights, and Victor/Victoria.

His television credits include the mini-series Shogun for which he received an Emmy nomination, Sliders, I Claudius, The Naked Civil Servant, Great Expectations and The Untouchables.