Runs from 12th April to 3rd August 2025.
HOTA Gallery, 135 Bundall Rd, Surfers Paradise, QLD 4217, Australia

Alexandra Ault, lead curator of modern archives and manuscripts at the British Library, says the iconic institution is “thrilled to collaborate with the National Portrait Gallery on Writers Revealed, a truly unique exhibition that brings together some of the most exceptional objects from our collections”.

“Visitors will experience rare first editions and exquisite manuscripts alongside celebrated portraits of the writers who created them,” Ault says. “The exhibition features over 70 authors from a diverse range of backgrounds, spanning 500 years of English literature.”

Catharine MacLeod, senior curator of 17th century collections at the National Portrait Gallery, says visitors will be captivated by an intimate glimpse into the personal lives and creative processes of these iconic writers.

“The exhibition features original and priceless manuscripts that reveal the thought processes behind beloved stories, along with stunning portraits that connect us to the individuals behind the words,” she says. “Featuring treasures that rarely leave our gallery in London, this major new exhibition will bring HOTA’s visitors closer to some of the most important figures in English literary history. Encountering these displays, visitors will discover what is revealed and what is hidden when life, writing and portraiture intersect.”

Notable highlights include those handwritten and illustrated letters from J.R.R. Tolkien to his grandson that echo his work in The Lord of the Rings, a diary entry by Lewis Carrol discussing Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Virginia Woolf’s handwritten manuscript for Mrs Dalloway, Jane Austen’s writing desk, and the only portrait likely to have been painted of William Shakespeare during his lifetime.

Co-curators Ault and MacLeod have assembled distinct objects from each collection that tell rich stories about the writers represented.

https://www.indailyqld.com.au/inreview ... eems-like-the-write-stuff

Sale date Thu, 30 Jan 2025 1:00 PM GMT

Lot 112

Tolkien (J.R.R.)The Hobbit; or There and Back Again, first edition, first impression, frontispiece, one plate and 8 illustrations, including 7 full-page, map endpapers printed in red & black, all by the author, 1 f. advertisements, small patch of browning to fore-margin of last 10 leaves, the odd marginal spot and some light finger-soiling, neat ink ownership inscription to front free endpaper, original green pictorial cloth, shelf-lean, toning to spine, fraying to lower joint and spine ends with some loss touching imprint, soiling to lower cover, some fraying to extremities, [Hammond A3a], 8vo, 1937.

Estimate GBP 4,000 - 6,000

https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/143510 ... n_no=1161&view=lot_detail

Lot 113

Description

Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Hobbit, first edition, fourth impression, colour frontispiece, illustrations and map endpapers, 1 p. advertisements to rear, Parker & Son bookseller's label to front pastedown, original pictorial cloth, slight bumping to spine tips and corners, dust-jacket, slight toning to spine, a few short tears with creasing to head of lower panel with paper repairs to verso, minor chipping to foot of spine and lower corners, small patch of discolouration to upper panel, an excellent copy generally, [Hammond & Anderson A3a note], 8vo, George Allen & Unwin, 1946.

⁂ An attractive copy of the fourth (and last) impression of the first edition.

Estimate GBP 3,000 - 4,000

https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/143222 ... n_no=1161&view=lot_detail

Lot 114

Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Lord of the Rings, 3 vol., first editions, first impressions, each volume signed by the author on front free endpapers, The Return of the King with signature mark '4' and text block misaligned on p.49, occasional light finger-soiling to margins, light browning to endpapers, original cloth, shelf-lean to Two Towers, slight bumping to spine tips and corners, dust-jackets, light toning to spines, spine ends and corners chipped with some fraying, short tears with creasing to head and foot of joints and fore-edges, closed tear to foot of Two Towers upper panel and head of Return of the King lower panel, light creasing to head and foot of panels with a few short nicks, light marking or soiling to panels, [Hammond & Anderson A5.a.i., ii, iii], 8vo, Allen and Unwin, 1954-55.

⁂ A fully-signed first edition, first impression set of this foundational work of fantasy fiction and one of the best-selling books of all time. It is believed that this was among a handful gifted by Tolkien to the Directors and Senior Managers at Allen and Unwin, presented by him to the Sales and Marketing Manager, Leslie Berry. Fully-signed sets are exceptionally rare, we can trace very few at auction in the last 40 years.

Following the success of The Hobbit, Tolkien's publishers encouraged him to begin work on a sequel. Though resistant at first, the author began this new work within months, sometime between 16th and 19th December, 1937. The new work was influenced heavily by the world building of Tolkien's then-unpublished Silmarillion, indeed the author would come to see both works as a single text and his insistence of their being published together (and the consequent costs involved) led to Allen and Unwin initially declining publication. After a brief flirtation with the publisher Collins, Tolkien returned to Allen and Unwin. Now willing to compromise he agreed to split The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion into separate works and to divide the former into three books to reduce the costs involved for the publishers. Even so, the outlay involved for Allen and Unwin was considerable, but the firm finally agreed to publish in 1952 with an unusual arrangement whereby Tolkien would be paid no royalties initially but take a share in all profits once the costs had been covered. Tolkien's revisions and corrections to the texts, issues with printers Jarrold & Sons and the author's precise standards regarding his hand-drawn maps and Middle-Earth scripts meant that publication of the The Fellowship of the Ring would take some 18 months and Return of the King almost 3 years. Sales of The Lord of the Rings in hardback were brisk, due in part to the hard work of Leslie Berry and his team, with each volume averaging at least one new impression per year until the publication of the UK paperback edition in 1968 at which point the rate of reprints would increase. Tolkien's remarkable work would come to sell over 150 million copies, the numerous adaptations and expansions of the world he created have ensured its lasting popularity.

Leslie Berry (d. 1967) first joined the firm of Allen and Unwin as a boy in 1934. He was called up to the Lincolnshire Regiment in 1939 and rose to the rank of major. On his return to the firm after the war, his new senior rank led to his transfer to the travelling sales team where he excelled before becoming Allen and Unwin's first sales manager. Berry would continue travelling in this new role, bringing the firm to new and emerging markets across the world. His unstinting efforts undoubtedly contributed to the success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Provenance: passed by descent to the present owner. A letter of provenance accompanies this item.

Estimate GBP 70,000 - 90,000

https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/143128 ... n_no=1161&view=lot_detail

Lot 115

Tolkien (J.R.R.) Typed Letter signed to Martin Berry, 1p., Merton College, Oxford, 9th May, 1972, discussing his dislike of being photographed, the development of runes in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and offering commiserations on the death of his father, with three small alterations by Tolkien in pencil, light toning and folds, 4to.

⁂ "I avoid being photographed as much as possible and do not keep the results"

An excellent letter from Tolkien to the son of Leslie Berry (see previous lot). Due to the number of apparent typing errors, this letter was very likely typed by Tolkien himself rather than by a secretary. Besides his comment regarding his dislike of being photographed, Tolkien discusses the origin of the runes used in his books including the change in transliteration of the rune Othala. In a typically self-deprecating line, he points Berry to the notes in an edition of the Hobbit but also highlights some errors in the same passage.

Tolkien ends by offering his commiserations on the death of Leslie Berry, declaring "I owe a considerable debt of gratitude to all the sales department of Allen & Unwin."

Letter link: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Martin Berry • 9 May 1972 (#2419)

Estimate GBP 3,000 - 4,000

https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/143185 ... n_no=1161&view=lot_detail

Lot 116

Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Lord of the Rings, 3 vol., first editions, first impressions, The Return of the King with signature mark "4" and misaligned text on p.49, folding map at end of each vol., light browning strips to endpapers, slight rubbing and minor bumping to spine tips and corners, dust-jackets, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers price-clipped, some light toning to spines, neat and expert repairs and restorations to extremities, in effect a near-fine set, preserved in custom leather drop-back boxes, each lettered in gilt on upper covers and spines, with the map of Middle Earth printed on covers and spine along with Tolkien's portrait to lower cover, the Eye of Sauron to upper covers and the One Ring to spines, [Hammond & Anderson A5], 8vo, 1954-55.

Estimate GBP 20,000 - 30,000

https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/143478 ... n_no=1161&view=lot_detail

You should always exercise good judgement and perform appropriate due-diligence when acquiring signed items to ensure that you are satisfied with the provenance and integrity of any item you bid on.

There are 2 Tolkien Postcards in a UK Fieldings Auction on 16th January.

I’m not sure if these are suitable for the Letters section, but I couldn’t find them. Mod edit - have been added, thanks

Lot 31
Letter link: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Leslie Smith (Allen & Unwin) • 10 October 1957 (#2422)

J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973) – An autographed Merton College printed postcard in ink signed with initials, to Allen & Unwin Ltd. “Would it be possible for us to collect “Rocket” on Saturday morning (October 12th)? If I manage to come at all, this would be about 11.45 a.m. & this may be inconvenient or impossible”, 10th October, 1957.

NB - The Rocket mentioned may refer to the Rocket Statuette of the International Fantasy Award that he won for the Lord of the Rings from the 15th World of Science Fiction Convention in 1957. Tolkien said that he thought the rocket statuette “absurd”, but the speeches at the convention “far more intelligent”. He kept the statuette, which is still in the family’s possession.

Estimate GBP 500-800
Sold for GBP 3,528 including fees

Lot 32
Letter link: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Leslie Smith (Allen & Unwin) • 27 October 1957 (#2423)

J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973) – An autographed Merton College printed Postcard in ink, signed in full to ‘Mr. Smith’ “Thank you for your specimen facsimile, and for your kindness in thinking of me. I should indeed find these specimens of considerable use in Class-work and should be very grateful if you would let me have them”, 27th October, 1957.

Estimate GBP 500-800
Sold for GBP 5,292 including fees

Lot 447

Description
The Road Goes Ever On—a collection of Tolkien's Middle-earth walking songs, presented to an old friend

Signed book: The Road Goes Ever On: A Song Cycle. First UK edition. London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd, 1968. Hardcover with dust jacket, 8.75 x 11.25, 68 pages. Signed and inscribed on the first free end page in fountain pen to his friend Margaret Wiseman, "Margaret from Ronald, J.R.R. Tolkien." Autographic condition: fine, with scattered light foxing, a small stain, and a couple of small notations to the signed page. Book condition: VG-/VG-, with scattered foxing to textblock (heaviest to title page), an Oulton Abbey bookplate affixed to the front pastedown, a two-inch tear to the top of the dust jacket (amongst several smaller nicks and tears), a few small stains to the jacket, and shelf numbers inked on the spine.

Margaret Wiseman, the sister of Tolkien's school friend Christopher Wiseman, was a Benedictine nun at Oulton Abbey; though little is known of their relationship, Tolkien presented her with inscribed copies of his works over a span of more than thirty years, favoring her with the scarce variant of his signature—"Ronald"—that he reserved for close friends and family.

In 'Priests, Prophets, and Kings: Ecclesiology in Newman and Tolkien,' John Kezel writes of the friendship between Tolkien and the Wisemans: 'The youthful Tolkien belonged to a group known as the TCBS, initials that stand for Tea Club, Barrovian Society. This club, composed of students from King Edward's School, the exclusive public school that Tolkien attended, used to meet in the Tea Room of Barrows Store in Birmingham. Eventually the club centered on four major members, each of whom brought a specialization: Christopher Wiseman, the expert on music and natural sciences…Tolkien, called John Ronald, versed in Germanic languages and philology. Tolkien was the only Catholic in the group, but all four young men hoped to contribute to a moral and cultural renewal in England… By the war's end, only Tolkien and Christopher Wiseman remained alive. Wiseman wrote to his friend, 'You ought to start the epic'; but for the most part, he does not play a significant role in Tolkien's literary career. Ironically, his sister Margaret does; she became a Catholic and a Benedictine nun, Mother Mary St. John, at Oulton Abbey from where she encouraged him with her prayers.'

The Road Goes Ever On is a collection of walking songs and poetry from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and related works, featuring poems in Tolkien's invented languages alongside English translations, paired with music by Donald Swann. The book provides deeper insight into the lore of Middle-earth, showcasing Tolkien's linguistic creativity and the themes of adventure, journey, and the passage of time. It remains a beloved companion to Tolkien’s novels and a treasure for fans of his literary world.

Estimate USD 20,000+
Appears to have not sold

This item was sold at Bonhams last June as Lot 241 Sold for GBP 8,320 inc. premium - https://www.bonhams.com/auction/30293/ ... man-allen-and-unwin-1968/

https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot ... oes-ever-on-a-song-cycle/

Lot 448

Description
Tolkien on The Return of the King: "I hope you will not be disappointed with the result. Which—if I may dare to accept the high comparisons that you make—is as if Homer had left not only poems, but an extensive commentary on them as well!"

ALS, one page both sides, 5 x 6.75, 76 Sanfield Road letterhead, May 14, 1955. Handwritten letter to Mrs. L. C. Beckett Frost in Ravello, Italy, concerning his enduring Lord of the Rings trilogy: after thanking her for kind words regarding Fellowship of the Ring and the Two Towers, he goes on to describe the delay in the publication of Return of the King, due to his promise of providing a mass of information and appendices. In part: "I have received some letters, but not enough to make me unappreciative! It is in any case a considerable encouragement, after so much labour (and so much difficulty in getting the book published) to find that it is welcomed even by those who are widely and deeply read.

The story was of course finished many years ago. The delay with Vol. III has been due to the difficulty of fulfilling (by compression and selection) the rash promises made in the First Volume concerning subsidiary matter. I have unfortunately been heavily weighted with other duties. But everything is now at press. I hope you will not be disappointed with the result. Which—if I may dare to accept the high comparisons that you make—is as if Homer had left not only poems, but an extensive commentary on them as well!" In fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope, addressed in Tolkien's own hand. A fantastic letter, beautifully written in his characteristic flowing script and signed in full.

After Tolkien's first novel, The Hobbit, met with unexpected success upon its release in 1937, his publisher George Allen & Unwin requested a second book. The drafts of the first stories he submitted, what would later become The Silmarillion, were rejected and his publisher asked for a sequel because the public demanded 'more about hobbits.' It was this sequel that Tolkien developed into The Lord of the Rings, which was then released in three volumes between July 1954 and October 1955.

The third volume, entitled The Return of the King, was especially delayed, owing to Tolkien's revisions of the ending and preparation of detailed appendices, maps, and indices—the "subsidiary matter" he discusses here, some of which ultimately had to be left out due to space constraints. The Return of the King was finally released in the UK on October 20, 1955.

Estimate USD 15,000+
Sold for USD 18,760 including premium

Letter link: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Mrs Frost • 14 May 1955 (#2239)

https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot ... of-the-lord-of-the-rings/

See this thread for more information on the recipient - https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/n ... t_id=60548#forumpost60548

Today we have launched the refreshed landing page for the Guide to Tolkien's letters, featuring a fantastic new illustration commissioned from Miriam Ellis. Professor Tolkien's Desk looks fantastic and is a perfect enhancement to the Guide. Thank you Miriam for all your hard work on this!