J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973)
Author of The Hobbit
About the Author
A writer of fantasies, Tolkien, a professor of language and literature at Oxford University, was always intrigued by early English and the imaginative use of language. In his greatest story, the trilogy The Lord of the Rings (1954--56), Tolkien invented a language with vocabulary, grammar, syntax, show more even poetry of its own. Though readers have created various possible allegorical interpretations, Tolkien has said: "It is not about anything but itself. (Certainly it has no allegorical intentions, general, particular or topical, moral, religious or political.)" In The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1962), Tolkien tells the story of the "master of wood, water, and hill," a jolly teller of tales and singer of songs, one of the multitude of characters in his romance, saga, epic, or fairy tales about his country of the Hobbits. Tolkien was also a formidable medieval scholar, as evidenced by his work, Beowulf: The Monster and the Critics (1936) and his edition of Anciene Wisse: English Text of the Anciene Riwle. Among his works published posthumously, are The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún and The Fall of Arthur, which was edited by his son, Christopher. In 2013, his title, TheHobbit (Movie Tie-In) made The New York Times Best Seller List. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
Please do not combine this page with the John Tolkien author page. If any works by J. R. R. Tolkien appear on that page, they should be aliased to this one.
Also please don't combine it with the page of Christopher Tolkien, even though he edited a lot of his father's works posthumously.
Image credit: J.R.R. Tolkien, 1967.
Series
Works by J. R. R. Tolkien
The Annotated Hobbit (1988) — Cover artist, some editions; Illustrator, some editions — 1,895 copies
Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, Together with Sellic Spell (2014) — Translator; Contributor; Translator — 1,551 copies
Tales from the Perilous Realm: Farmer Giles of Ham / The Adventures of Tom Bombadil / Leaf by Niggle / Smith of Wootton… (1997) 758 copies
Tree and Leaf. Smith of Wootton Major. The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth, Beorhthelm's Son (1945) 558 copies
The Nature of Middle-earth : Late Writings on the Lands, Inhabitants, and Metaphysics of Middle-earth (2021) 521 copies
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 140 copies
The Great Tales of Middle-earth: Children of Húrin, Beren and Lúthien, and The Fall of Gondolin (2018) 135 copies
The Battle of Maldon together with The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth and 'The Tradition of Versification in Old English' (2023) 124 copies
Tolkien Fantasy Tales Box Set (The Tolkien Reader/The Silmarillion/Unfinished Tales/Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) (2003) 107 copies
J.R.R.Tolkien Reads Poems and Songs of Middle Earth (Cassette) (1967) — Author; Narrator — 22 copies
The Book of Lost Tales Part I & Part II; The Lays of Beleriand; The Shaping of Middle-Earth, The Lost Road, The return… (1989) 20 copies
The J. R. R. Tolkien Deluxe Edition Collection: " The Children of Hurin " , " The Silmarillion " , " The Hobbit " and "… (2007) 15 copies
The Five Elements Cookbook: A Guide to Traditional Chinese Medicine with Recipes for Everyday Healing (2023) 13 copies
The History of Middle-earth (Boxed Set 1): The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The Book of Lost Tales, Part One & Part… (2023) 13 copies
Sir Gawain & the Green Knight Pb 12 copies
Tolkien Collection: The Hobbit, Farmer Giles of Ham, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Tree and Leaf. Smith of Wootton… (1977) 10 copies
The Invented Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien 10 copies
The Return of the King (A Story of the Hobbits) Book and Record (See the Pictures; Hear the Record; Read the Book, 382) (1980) 10 copies
J.R.R. Tolkien Soundbook J. R. R. Tolkien Reads Excerpts From: the Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings, Poems and Songs of… (1977) 9 copies
THE HOBBIT: PART SIX 8 copies
The Book of Lost Tales I; The Book of Lost Tales II; Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth (2000) 7 copies
Parma Eldalamberon XVII: Words, Phrases & Passages in various tongues in The Lord of the Rings (2021) 7 copies
Parma Eldalamberon XXII: The Feanorian Alphabet Part 1; Quenya Verb Structure (2015) — Author — 6 copies
Masallar 6 copies
Parma Eldalamberon XVI 6 copies
Parma Eldalamberon XI: i Lam na Ngoldathon - The Grammar and Lexicon of the Gnomish tongue (1995) 6 copies
The Devil's Coach-Horses 6 copies
El senor de los anillos (Apendices) 5 copies
A Queda de Numenor e outros contos da Segunda Era da Terra-media (Em Portugues do Brasil) (2019) 5 copies
The Fellowship of the Ring [TV Tie-In]: The Lord of the Rings Part One (The Lord of the Rings, 1) (2022) 4 copies
Trzysta przekładów dla fanów pod nieba skłonem... : Ring Rhyme J.R.R. Tolkiena w językach żywych, martwych i… (2007) 4 copies
Poesie 4 copies
Tolkien studies: volume XIX, supplement — Author — 3 copies
After the King 2 copies
Cuentos inconclusos Ilustrada por A.Lee, J.Howe,T.Nasmith (revisada) (Biblioteca J. R. R. Tolkien) (2023) 2 copies
On translating 'Beowulf' 2 copies
新版 指輪物語〈3〉/二つの塔〈上〉 2 copies
De Silmarillion: De vroege geschiedenis van Midden-Aarde: wat vooraf ging aan In de ban van de ring en De hobbit (2022) 2 copies
English and Welsh 2 copies
Dvě věže 2 copies
J.r.r. Tolkien the Hobbit & the Lord of the Rings Gold Book Box Set Ballantine 1973 4 Book Set 2 copies
La formazione della Terra di Mezzo (La storia della Terra di Mezzo Vol. 4) (Italian Edition) 2 copies
Angles and Britons — Author — 2 copies
Songs for the Philologists 2 copies
Tale of Gondolin — Author — 2 copies
The Hobbit 2 copies
Il lai di Aotrou e Itroun 2 copies
THE RETURN OF THE KING Easton Press 2 copies
Silmarillon 2 copies
The Hobbit 2 copies
Númenor bukása 2 copies
Losenger 2 copies
The Return of the King Book 3 2 copies
The Children of Húrin Paperback Box Set: The Children of Hurin / The Silmarillion / Unfinished Tales (2008) 2 copies
Eventyret om ringen 2 copies
THE BOOK OF LOST TALES, PART 1 2 copies
Der Herr der Ringe. Bd. 3 - Die Rückkehr des Königs: Neuüberarbeitung und Aktualisierung der… 2 copies
The Fellowship of the Ring Book 1 2 copies
반지의 제왕 1 1 copy
반지의 제왕 2 1 copy
El Hobbit 1 copy
The Hobbit 2013 edition 1 copy
반지의 제왕 3 1 copy
Lo Hobbit e altri 5 volumi 1 copy
《魔戒(试读版)》 (Chinese Edition) 1 copy
Illustrations for The Hobbit 1 copy
반지의 제왕 4 1 copy
tom Bombadil 1 copy
The Lord of the Rings (Summary of The Hobbit/The Fellowship of the Ring/The Two Towers/The Return of the… (1978) 1 copy
The Lord of the Rings 1 copy
O Retorno do Rei [The Return of the King]: Senhor dos Anéis, Livro 3 [Lord of the Rings, Book 3] 1 copy
반지의 제왕 5 1 copy
Return of the King 1 copy
반지의 제왕 6 1 copy
Elveszett mesék könyve II. 1 copy
The Two Towers Book 2 1 copy
An Hobad (Bog) 1 copy
Kayip Öyküler Kitabi 1 1 copy
J. R. R. Tolkien Soundbook 1 copy
The Lord of the Rings 1 copy
Unfinished Tales 1 copy
The Two Towers Collector's Edition: Being the Second Part of The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, 2) (2024) 1 copy
ʻ æ ı ư ð æ: ı đ ı 1 copy
The Two Towers Part 2 1 copy
반지의 제왕 5 1 copy
The Book of the Lost Tales 1 copy
A gyűrük ura 1 copy
반지의 제왕 6 1 copy
Giles, a sárkány ura 1 copy
반지의 제왕 1 1 copy
Ringenes Herre 3 1 copy
Yuzuklerin Efendisi 1 copy
Masallar 1 copy
반지의 제왕 2 1 copy
반지의 제왕 3 1 copy
반지의 제왕 4 1 copy
Ringenes herre 2 1 copy
Elveszett mesék könyve I. 1 copy
Ringenes Herre 1 1 copy
The Return of the King Collector's Edition: Being the Third Part of The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings, 3) (2024) 1 copy
The Fellowship of the Ring Collector's Edition: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings (The Lord of the Rings,… (2024) 1 copy
Anh. und Reg. 1 copy
Bombadil Goes Boating [poem] 1 copy
2000 1 copy
Básně III 1 copy
Básně II 1 copy
Básně I 1 copy
Pád Gondolinu 1 copy
Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth 1 copy
O Hobbit Livro Pop-Up 1 copy
The Stone Troll [poem] 1 copy
Tales of Hurin 1 copy
The Trolls 1 copy
Osanwe-kenta 1 copy
Mythopoeia 1 copy
Geschriften van Midden-Aarde 1 copy
LORD OF THE RINGS, SILMARILLION, HOBBIT, BOOK OF LOST TALES, UNFINISHED TALES IN 8 VOLS Easton Press (2003) 1 copy
The Battles of Middle Earth 1 copy
Leerer Schuber für die kartonierte Sonderausgabe in der alten Übersetzung [Der Herr der Ringe] (1972) 1 copy
Húrinovy děti 1 copy
Upadek Númenoru 1 copy
O Povo do Anel 1 copy
Tolkien Cards the hobbit 1 copy
BEREN İLE LUTHEİN 1 copy
Hobbit z objaśnieniami 1 copy
The English Text of the Ancrene Riwle: Ancrene Wisse: Corpus Christi College Cambridge MS 402 (Early English Text… (2013) 1 copy
Pack Trilogía El Señor de los Anillos: Incluye La Comunidad del Anillo, Las Dos Torres, El Retorno del… (2022) 1 copy
Tolkien Reader 1 copy
Mathoms: A Treasury of Writings, Including a Brief History of, and Other Works Related to The Hobbit 1 copy
A Guide To Middle Earth 1 copy
Taru sormusten herrasta 3 1 copy
Hobbit (Iwanami world children's literature collection) (2003) ISBN: 4001157063 [Japanese Import] 1 copy
Lõpetamata lood 1 copy
Taru sormusten herrasta 2 1 copy
Taru sormusten herrasta 1 1 copy
J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings Series Collection 3 Books Set (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers & The Return… (2023) 1 copy
Tr ̆og blade 1 copy
Silmarillon 1 copy
The Silmarillion 1 copy
(البرجان (سيد الخواتم #2 1 copy
Umbar, haven of the corsairs 1 copy
The Hobbit. Series 2 1 copy
The Hobbit. Series 1 1 copy
Egidio, el granjero de Ham 1 copy
[No title] 1 copy
La caduta di Gondolin 1 copy
Il cacciatore di draghi 1 copy
La caduta di Artù 1 copy
El senyor del anell I 1 copy
Associated Works
Masterpieces of Terror and the Supernatural: A Treasury of Spellbinding Tales Old & New (1985) — Contributor — 522 copies
Ancrene Wisse: Guide for Anchoresses (1955) — Preface, some editions; Editor, some editions — 180 copies
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1999) — Original book — 161 copies
Tales Before Narnia: The Roots of Modern Fantasy and Science Fiction (2008) — Contributor — 114 copies
Fantasists on Fantasy: A collection of Critical Reflections by Eighteen Masters of the Art (1984) — Contributor — 86 copies
Piers Plowman; with Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl and Sir Orfeo (anon.) (1975) — Translator, some editions — 65 copies
Drawings by Tolkien [cat. exp., Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, 14. Dec - 27. Feb 1977; National Book League, London, 2.… (1976) 10 copies
A Northern venture : verses by members of the Leeds University English Association — Contributor — 1 copy
Leeds University verse, 1914-24 — Contributor — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Tolkien, J. R. R.
- Legal name
- Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel
- Other names
- Beren
Ronald - Birthdate
- 1892-01-03
- Date of death
- 1973-09-02
- Burial location
- Wolvercote Cemetery, Oxford, England, UK
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Country (for map)
- England, UK
- Birthplace
- Bloemfontein, Orange Free State
- Place of death
- Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK
- Cause of death
- Bleeding ulcer and chest infection
- Places of residence
- Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, UK
West Midlands, England, UK
Leeds, Yorkshire, England, UK
Bournemouth, Dorset, England, UK
Bloemfontein, South Africa
Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, UK - Education
- Exeter College, University of Oxford (B.A.|1915)
King Edward's School, Birmingham, England, UK
St. Philip's School, Birmingham, England, UK - Occupations
- professor (English)
reader (English)
poet
philologist
fantasy writer
writer (show all 10)
novelist
translator
soldier
artist - Relationships
- Tolkien, Christopher (son)
Tolkien, John (son)
Tolkien, Simon (grandson)
Tolkien, Michael (grandson)
Tolkien, Priscilla (daughter)
Tolkien, Hilary (brother) (show all 15)
Tolkien, Tracy (granddaughter-in-law)
Tolkien, Baillie (daughter-in-law)
Mitchell, Bruce (student)
Bliss, Alan (student)
D'Ardenne, S. R. T. O. (student)
Burchfield, R. W. (student)
Auden, W. H. (student)
Sisam, Kenneth (tutor)
Tolkien, Edith (wife) - Organizations
- Inklings
Lancashire Fusiliers (Lieutenant, 1915-1918)
Oxford English Dictionary
University of Leeds (Reader in English; Professor of English Language)
Pembroke College, Oxford University (Fellow)
Oxford University (Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon, 1925-45) (show all 10)
Oxford University (Leverhulme Research Fellow, 1934-36)
Oxford University (Merton Professor of English Language and Literature, 1945-59)
Merton College, Oxford University (Emeritus Fellow)
Tolkien Society (Honorary President in perpetuo) - Awards and honors
- Order of the British Empire (Commander ∙ 1972)
Honorary Doctorate (University of Liège ∙ 1954)
Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature (1957)
Honorary D. Litt (National University Of Ireland ∙ 1954)
Royal Society of Literature Benson Medal (1966)
Gandalf Award (Grand Master of Fantasy ∙ 1974) (show all 14)
Sir Israel Gollancz Memorial Lecturer, British Academy (1936)
Andrew Lang Lecturer, University of St. Andrews, Fife (1939)
W. P. Ker Lecturer, University of Glasgow (1953)
O'Donnell Lecturer, Oxford University (1955)
Skeat prize (1914)
Bog & Idé-prisen (2002)
Oxford University (Honorary D. Litt ∙ 1972)
SF Hall Of Fame (2013) - Short biography
- John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer, poet, philologist, and academic. He was the author of the high fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
He served as the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon and Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford, from 1925 to 1945 and Merton Professor of English Language and Literature and Fellow of Merton College, Oxford, from 1945 to 1959. He was at one time a close friend of C. S. Lewis—they were both members of the informal literary discussion group known as the Inklings. Tolkien was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II on 28 March 1972.
After Tolkien's death, his son Christopher published a series of works based on his father's extensive notes and unpublished manuscripts, including The Silmarillion. These, together with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, form a connected body of tales, poems, fictional histories, invented languages, and literary essays about a fantasy world called Arda and Middle-earth[b] within it. Between 1951 and 1955, Tolkien applied the term legendarium to the larger part of these writings.
While many other authors had published works of fantasy before Tolkien, the great success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings led directly to a popular resurgence of the genre. This has caused Tolkien to be popularly identified as the "father" of modern fantasy literature or, more precisely, of high fantasy. In 2008, The Times ranked him sixth on a list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". Forbes ranked him the fifth top-earning "dead celebrity" in 2009. - Disambiguation notice
- Please do not combine this page with the John Tolkien author page. If any works by J. R. R. Tolkien appear on that page, they should be aliased to this one.
Also please don't combine it with the page of Christopher Tolkien, even though he edited a lot of his father's works posthumously.
Members
Discussions
The Tolkien Thread (4) in Folio Society Devotees (January 31)
OT - Tolkien Interview of 22 March 1968 with The Daily Telegraph in Folio Society Devotees (September 2023)
Lord of the Rings LE Copy No.1 on eBay UK in Folio Society Devotees (July 2023)
Book Discussion: The Silmarillion in The Green Dragon (April 2023)
J.R.R. Tolkien Published Titles and Related Books by The Easton Press in Easton Press Collectors (April 2023)
LoTR Limited Edition in Folio Society Devotees (April 2023)
OT: New The Silmarillion 2022 Illustrated Deluxe edition in Folio Society Devotees (November 2022)
OT - New Edition of LoTR with Tolkien illustrations in Folio Society Devotees (October 2022)
Interesting Tolkien-related links in Council of Elrond (September 2022)
Lord of the Rings LE 2022 in Folio Society Devotees (July 2022)
The Tolkien Thread (3) in Folio Society Devotees (May 2022)
New Tolkien Book in Council of Elrond (March 2022)
J.R.R. Tolkien in Legacy Libraries (February 2022)
History of Lord of the Rings Returns in Easton Press Collectors (October 2021)
Tolkien's own illustrations appear in LOTR for the first time in Council of Elrond (October 2021)
wishlist: LotR illustrated DLE in Easton Press Collectors (October 2021)
New Tolkien discovery in Council of Elrond (August 2021)
Lord of the Rings Group Read in 2019 Category Challenge (April 2021)
Silmarillion read-through in Council of Elrond (February 2021)
New Hobbit audiobook? in Council of Elrond (December 2020)
Did Clark Ashton Smith read Tolkien? in Council of Elrond (March 2020)
New website for Tolkien research; new book in Council of Elrond (March 2017)
The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrun Slipcase Deluxe Edition in The Green Dragon (July 2015)
The Tolkien Thread (2) in Folio Society Devotees (July 2015)
Revisiting Middle Earth before The Hobbit hits the big screen in The Green Dragon (February 2015)
The Tolkien Thread in Folio Society Devotees (August 2014)
about test in Brightcopy Test Group (July 2013)
Group Read: The Hobbit (Spoiler-free thread) in Hogwarts Express (April 2013)
The Hobbit - Book vs. Movie (Spoilers Expected) in The Green Dragon (February 2013)
Silmarillion in Book talk (December 2012)
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit reviewed by jseger9000 in Reviews reviewed (July 2011)
Gene Wolfe's tribute to Tolkien in Political Conservatives (June 2011)
Tolkein and Lewis in Friends of Jack (C.S. Lewis) (January 2010)
Fellowship of the Ring discussion, Part II chapters 4-6 in Hogwarts Express (October 2008)
The Children of Húrin Book Discussion: Post after you finish the book. in The Green Dragon (October 2008)
Fellowship of the Ring final discussion, Part II chapters 7-10 in Hogwarts Express (October 2008)
Fellowship of the Ring discussion, Part II chapters 1-3 in Hogwarts Express (October 2008)
Fellowship of the Ring discussion, chapters 7-9 in Hogwarts Express (September 2008)
Fellowship of the Ring discussion, chapters 4-6 in Hogwarts Express (September 2008)
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Lord of the Rings Book 3 Fellowship of the Ring Part 2-1 {Japanese New Edition} (Hebrew Translation – 1980)
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- 644
- Also by
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- Eowyn defending her fallen king from the Nazgûl and Ring Wraith
- Aragon sending disheartened soldiers back to guard the ford
- Samwise realising it’s a one way trip to Mount doom
- Samwise carrying Frodo up Mount Doom
- Samwise showing mercy to Gollum
- Frodo showing mercy to wormtail
- The eagles are coming
- Frodo and Samwise being honoured as the ones who saved middle earth
- Samwise love for Rosie Cotton
- Merry and Pippen taking back the shire
- Samwise spreading the Elven dust over the shire and the resulting fruitfulness in the Spring… (more)