Shaun Gunner

Shaun Gunner is the Chief Executive Officer of The Tolkien Society. Gunner previously served for over 12 years as the Chair of the Society, making him the longest-serving Chair in the Society's history.

Gunner has also served as the Society's publicity officer, was the Deputy Chair of The Return of the Ring: Celebrating Tolkien in 2012, and was responsible for the Tolkien 2019 event. He has also contributed to the journals Amon Hen, Hither Shore, and Mallorn.

He is an administrator (User:Mith) of the Tolkien Gateway website, and an advisor and assistant to Emil Johansson's The Lord of the Rings Project. Gunner is also a regular commentator on Tolkien and adaptations in the media, and was a guest co-host of The Prancing Pony Podcast in the 2022-3 season.

Gunner is a politics graduate and lives in Rustington, Sussex. He is an elected councillor for his area - serving as Leader of the Council between 2021 and 2023 - and formerly chaired the mental health charity Mankind.