Letters 
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Stanley Unwin writes that his son Rayner is delighted with the sample chapter from the new book about hobbits. Rayner does wonder if a child who hasn't ...
Rayner "scribbles" a book report on the first three chapters of the Hobbit sequel. His father Stanley sends this review to Tolkien along with a cover le...
Writing to C.A. Furth, Tolkien offers an update with his work on The Lord of the Rings. He has not worked on since December but feels it is a better wor...
After addressing overdue correspondence, Tolkien mentions resuming work on his sequel to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, but anticipates the impendin...
Christopher had apparently been having a bad week, and Tolkien writes with his sympathies. He says to not spend “precious time” on letter writing, t...
Tolkien had an outing, seeing the two Lewis brothers and having lunch with C.S. Lewis. During the meeting, Lewis read part of a new story.
Tolkien recounts recent events, including a cycle ride to Pembroke, a train journey to Birmingham, and a visit to his hometown. During the train journey...
Tolkien shares his commitment to completing The Lord of the Rings, expressing the challenges of re-reading and researching while working on the adventur...
Tolkien expresses gratitude for a recently received airletter, shares updates about writing progress on The Lord of the Rings and mentions spending time...
Tolkien expresses joy at receiving a batch of letters and, discusses the distressing but unsurprising uncensored accounts of Christopher's experiences, ...
Tolkien gives Christopher an update on his progess on The Two Towers, the second book of The Lord of the Rings. He has read the second chapter, "Passage...
Tolkien had received an airletter from Christopher that morning and he read it while enjoying breakfast in bed. He describes the events of St. George's ...
Tolkien writes of his longing and concern for Christopher in the midst of war, reflecting on human suffering and the senselessness of conflict. Despite ...
Having read another chapter to C.S. Lewis, Tolkien is now writing the next, and will send Christopher copies as soon as possible.
Tolkien responds to Christopher's letters and acknowledges the challenges and frustrations of life in the military camp during the war. He empathizes wi...
Tolkien completed a fourth new chapter titled 'Faramir,' which received approval from C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams. He notes that he attended church ...
Tolkien spent a morning writing The Lord of the Rings and is now in sight of Minas Morghul. He has been gardening in the midday heat. he expresses his r...
Tolkien apologizes for the lapse in correspondence. He gives an update on writing of The Lord of the Rings. He reads for Lewis and Williams and both men...
Writing to Christopher with an update on recent happenings. He had dinner in college and notes that "the three old gents" were very easy to talk to. Lew...
Stanley Unwin had sent Tolkien a large cheque as payment of royalties on The Hobbit, and mentions that Rayner is now at Oxford reading English. Tolkien ...
Engaged in revision, Tolkien reflects on the chapter "King of the Golden Hall" and finds it to be rather good with the perspective of time.
Tolkien sends the last two chapters of the fourth book of The Lord of the Rings, and quotes from a letter he has received from a fan who has read The Ho...
Tolkien sends a small consignment of "The Ring," consisting of the last two chapters that have been written and the end of the Fourth Book. The hero is ...
Tolkien expresses joy that Christopher enjoyed the next three chapters of "The Ring" and provides information about the schedule for sending the remaini...
Tolkien is happy to get so many letters from Christopher, and is very pleased that the third batch of Ring material has gotten to Christopher and that h...
Tolkien describes some domestic plumbing troubles that prevented him from meeting up with Lewis in the morning, but the eventually managed to make it to...
Tolkien responded to Rayner Unwin's comments about The Fellowship of the Ring. He talks about allegory as well as other literary illusions. Tolkien ment...
Success! declares Tolkien. He has completed The Lord of the Rings and having been read by Rayner Unwin is approved. He does not think it will make any m...
Tolkien notes that he has a shory story to be published shortly, Farmer Giles of Ham and says that he has completed The Lord of the Rings.
In 1937, at the urging of his publishers, Tolkien began writing "a new Hobbit." Due to his full-time academic position, progress was slow, and he abando...
Tolkien has not supplied Sayer with a copy of The Lord of the Rings as yet.
Tolkien expresses his frustration with the galleys of his work, The Lord of the Rings. He finds the process tedious and mentions that the printed versio...
Tolkien expresses gratitude for Rayner's visit. He proposes titles for the volumes of The Lord of the Rings and his rationale behind the titles.
Tolkien had hoped to see Mitchison but her letter "twice delayed" had not reached Tolkien until it was too late. He gives an update on life and remarks ...
Lewis responds to a letter from Ed Meskys, who had asked for permission to reprint Lewis's poem "The End of the Wine" in Niekas, and also asked what rel...
Tolkien wrote that he usually typed letters because of his handwriting (which can be very difficult to read at times). He talks about the invention of h...
Tolkien had sent Unwin the typescript of his new story Smith of Wootton Major. It seemed to Unwin to need the companionship of other stories to make a s...
Tolkien writes about revising The Lord of the Rings. Additional quotes from this letter concerning the revising of Sir Gawain are published in Chronolog...
Professor Kilby, of Wheaton College, Illinois, had met Tolkien while visiting Oxford in 1964. He now offered to return to England and help Tolkien in an...
Letter Tags
Stats
Guide to Tolkien's Letters
The Lord of the Rings writing
(40 letters match)1938
11th February 1938
Stanley Unwin to J.R.R. Tolkien
#1988
Stanley Unwin writes that his son Rayner is delighted with the sample chapter from the new book about hobbits. Rayner does wonder if a child who hasn't ...
3 May 1938
Rayner Unwin to J.R.R. Tolkien
#1990
Rayner "scribbles" a book report on the first three chapters of the Hobbit sequel. His father Stanley sends this review to Tolkien along with a cover le...
1939
2 February 1939
J.R.R. Tolkien to C.A. Furth
#39
Carpenter #35
Writing to C.A. Furth, Tolkien offers an update with his work on The Lord of the Rings. He has not worked on since December but feels it is a better wor...
1941
2 January 1941
J.R.R. Tolkien to Michael Tolkien
#56
Carpenter #41
After addressing overdue correspondence, Tolkien mentions resuming work on his sequel to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, but anticipates the impendin...
1943
8 September 1943
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#1385
Carpenter #49c
Christopher had apparently been having a bad week, and Tolkien writes with his sympathies. He says to not spend “precious time” on letter writing, t...
1944
30 March 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#91
Carpenter #57
Tolkien had an outing, seeing the two Lewis brothers and having lunch with C.S. Lewis. During the meeting, Lewis read part of a new story.
3 April 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#92
Carpenter #58
Tolkien recounts recent events, including a cycle ride to Pembroke, a train journey to Birmingham, and a visit to his hometown. During the train journey...
5 April 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#93
Carpenter #59
Tolkien shares his commitment to completing The Lord of the Rings, expressing the challenges of re-reading and researching while working on the adventur...
13 April 1944 (continued on 15 April)
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#94
Carpenter #60
Tolkien expresses gratitude for a recently received airletter, shares updates about writing progress on The Lord of the Rings and mentions spending time...
18 April 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#95
Carpenter #61
Tolkien expresses joy at receiving a batch of letters and, discusses the distressing but unsurprising uncensored accounts of Christopher's experiences, ...
23 April 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#96
Carpenter #62
Tolkien gives Christopher an update on his progess on The Two Towers, the second book of The Lord of the Rings. He has read the second chapter, "Passage...
24 April 1944 (continued 26 April)
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#97
Carpenter #63
Tolkien had received an airletter from Christopher that morning and he read it while enjoying breakfast in bed. He describes the events of St. George's ...
30 April 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#98
Carpenter #64
Tolkien writes of his longing and concern for Christopher in the midst of war, reflecting on human suffering and the senselessness of conflict. Despite ...
4 May 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#99
Carpenter #65
Having read another chapter to C.S. Lewis, Tolkien is now writing the next, and will send Christopher copies as soon as possible.
6 May 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#100
Carpenter #66
Tolkien responds to Christopher's letters and acknowledges the challenges and frustrations of life in the military camp during the war. He empathizes wi...
11 May 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#101
Carpenter #67
Tolkien completed a fourth new chapter titled 'Faramir,' which received approval from C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams. He notes that he attended church ...
12 May 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#102
Carpenter #68
Tolkien spent a morning writing The Lord of the Rings and is now in sight of Minas Morghul. He has been gardening in the midday heat. he expresses his r...
21 May 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#104
Carpenter #70
Tolkien apologizes for the lapse in correspondence. He gives an update on writing of The Lord of the Rings. He reads for Lewis and Williams and both men...
31 May 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#143
Carpenter #72
Writing to Christopher with an update on recent happenings. He had dinner in college and notes that "the three old gents" were very easy to talk to. Lew...
29 June 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Stanley Unwin
#145
Carpenter #74
Stanley Unwin had sent Tolkien a large cheque as payment of royalties on The Hobbit, and mentions that Rayner is now at Oxford reading English. Tolkien ...
30 September 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#171
Carpenter #82
Engaged in revision, Tolkien reflects on the chapter "King of the Golden Hall" and finds it to be rather good with the perspective of time.
25 October 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#176
Carpenter #87
Tolkien sends the last two chapters of the fourth book of The Lord of the Rings, and quotes from a letter he has received from a fan who has read The Ho...
29 November 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#216
Carpenter #91
Tolkien sends a small consignment of "The Ring," consisting of the last two chapters that have been written and the end of the Fourth Book. The hero is ...
24 December 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#218
Carpenter #93
Tolkien expresses joy that Christopher enjoyed the next three chapters of "The Ring" and provides information about the schedule for sending the remaini...
28 December 1944
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#219
Carpenter #94
Tolkien is happy to get so many letters from Christopher, and is very pleased that the third batch of Ring material has gotten to Christopher and that h...
1945
30 January 1945
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#221
Carpenter #96
Tolkien describes some domestic plumbing troubles that prevented him from meeting up with Lewis in the morning, but the eventually managed to make it to...
1947
31 July 1947
J.R.R. Tolkien to Stanley Unwin
#255
Carpenter #109
Tolkien responded to Rayner Unwin's comments about The Fellowship of the Ring. He talks about allegory as well as other literary illusions. Tolkien ment...
1948
31 October 1948
J.R.R. Tolkien to Hugh Brogan
#269
Carpenter #117
Success! declares Tolkien. He has completed The Lord of the Rings and having been read by Rayner Unwin is approved. He does not think it will make any m...
1949
11 March 1949
J.R.R. Tolkien to Miss Turnbull
#133
Tolkien notes that he has a shory story to be published shortly, Farmer Giles of Ham and says that he has completed The Lord of the Rings.
1952
7 August 1952
J.R.R. Tolkien to George Sayer
#157
In 1937, at the urging of his publishers, Tolkien began writing "a new Hobbit." Due to his full-time academic position, progress was slow, and he abando...
1953
8 March 1953
J.R.R. Tolkien to George Sayer
#159
Tolkien has not supplied Sayer with a copy of The Lord of the Rings as yet.
4 August 1953
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien
#354
Carpenter #138
Tolkien expresses his frustration with the galleys of his work, The Lord of the Rings. He finds the process tedious and mentions that the printed versio...
17 August 1953
J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin
#356
Carpenter #140
Tolkien expresses gratitude for Rayner's visit. He proposes titles for the volumes of The Lord of the Rings and his rationale behind the titles.
1959
8 November 1959
J.R.R. Tolkien to Naomi Mitchison
#346
Carpenter #220a
Tolkien had hoped to see Mitchison but her letter "twice delayed" had not reached Tolkien until it was too late. He gives an update on life and remarks ...
1963
3 Oct 1963
C.S. Lewis to Ed Meskys
#2367
Lewis responds to a letter from Ed Meskys, who had asked for permission to reprint Lewis's poem "The End of the Wine" in Niekas, and also asked what rel...
1964
16 July 1964
J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Bretherton
#631
Carpenter #257
Tolkien wrote that he usually typed letters because of his handwriting (which can be very difficult to read at times). He talks about the invention of h...
1965
20 May 1965
J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin
#644
Carpenter #270
Tolkien had sent Unwin the typescript of his new story Smith of Wootton Major. It seemed to Unwin to need the companionship of other stories to make a s...
25 May 1965
J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin
#645
Carpenter #271
Tolkien writes about revising The Lord of the Rings. Additional quotes from this letter concerning the revising of Sir Gawain are published in Chronolog...
18 December 1965
J.R.R. Tolkien to Clyde S. Kilby
#655
Carpenter #282
Professor Kilby, of Wheaton College, Illinois, had met Tolkien while visiting Oxford in 1964. He now offered to return to England and help Tolkien in an...
105
16479