Letters 
Letter Tags
Stats
C. A. Furth of GA&U writes to Tolkien on matters of his illustrations for The Hobbit. His drawings are admirable and blocks for them are being produced....
Tolkien sends the last two colour drawings for the American edition of The Hobbit and asks GA&U to send it on to Houghton Mifflin. he also asks about a ...
Tolkien responds to a request, likely from a researcher or enthusiast, regarding the origins and inspirations behind his work, particularly The Hobbit. ...
Tolkien wrote this long letter to two schoolgirls, Leila Keane and Patricia Kirke who were both very enthusiastic about hobbits, in reply to their quest...
Tolkien writes of his longing and concern for Christopher in the midst of war, reflecting on human suffering and the senselessness of conflict. Despite ...
Tolkien writes to Jennifer with some advice on an Oxford College, and errors in The Hobbit. A description of the letter appeared in The J.R.R. Tolkien C...
Katharine Farrer had written to Tolkien, in runes, asking if he would sign her copy of The Hobbit. Tolkien replies to her letter in runes. He says that ...
Further to #TCGLetter1438, Tolkien says that p. 33 passes, p. 59 is improved. He has discovered “2 or 3” errors in the runic decoration on the title...
Tolkien received some additional proofs of The Return of the King back from the printers, and is still not happy with the result. He chalks it up to his...
Tolkien expresses dissatisfaction with the current proofreading procedure and raises concerns about potential errors in the published volume.
Tolkien responds to Mr. Jeffery's letter. Tolkien discusses the command of Elvish script and mentions the upcoming release of Volume III, which will inc...
A letter to a young fan named Charles Blackwood. Discusses runes, Tolkien remarks that he did not invent the runes in The Hobbit. See for more details.
Answers to the following questions: (1) In the ‘English runes’ used for Anglo-Saxon inscriptions, the rune does not stand for G as it does in The Lo...
Tolkien thanks Miss Sibley for her letter and "close scrutiny" of his books. He says that any mystery regarding his runes are easily solved: The runes i...
Tolkien replies thanking Alan White for his "Runes". Included in this typed letter was a signature written in Roman and Tengwar letters. See 'DTS 68 - T...
Tolkien responds to a fan letter, pointing out where the runes in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are translated in those books, and what his initi...
In a second-hand bookshop in Salisbury, Wiltshire, Zillah Sherring found and bought a copy of The Fifth Book of Thucydides which contained a number of s...
In this letter Tolkien replies that he has received David's Tom Bombadil Part 1 in English runes and remarks that it is "very correct". This letter was ...
A partial view of this letter was featured on the BBC's Repair Shop broadcast on 25th January 2023 (see reference). In the letter, Tolkien remarks on ru...
Letter Tags
Stats
Guide to Tolkien's Letters
Runes
(19 letters match)1937
7 January 1937
C.A. Furth (GA&U) to J.R.R. Tolkien
#1845
C. A. Furth of GA&U writes to Tolkien on matters of his illustrations for The Hobbit. His drawings are admirable and blocks for them are being produced....
31 August 1937
J.R.R. Tolkien to C.A. Furth (Allen & Unwin)
#15
Carpenter #15
Tolkien sends the last two colour drawings for the American edition of The Hobbit and asks GA&U to send it on to Houghton Mifflin. he also asks about a ...
1938
20 February 1938*
J.R.R. Tolkien to Editor of the Observer
#28
Carpenter #25
Tolkien responds to a request, likely from a researcher or enthusiast, regarding the origins and inspirations behind his work, particularly The Hobbit. ...
1943
3 August 1943
J.R.R. Tolkien to Leila Keene and Pat Kirke
#119
Tolkien wrote this long letter to two schoolgirls, Leila Keane and Patricia Kirke who were both very enthusiastic about hobbits, in reply to their quest...
1944
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 ...
1947
26 September 1947
J.R.R. Tolkien to Jennifer Paxman
#128
Tolkien writes to Jennifer with some advice on an Oxford College, and errors in The Hobbit. A description of the letter appeared in The J.R.R. Tolkien C...
30 November 1947
J.R.R. Tolkien to Katharine Farrer
#140
Carpenter #112
Katharine Farrer had written to Tolkien, in runes, asking if he would sign her copy of The Hobbit. Tolkien replies to her letter in runes. He says that ...
1954
15 April 1954
J.R.R. Tolkien to Allen & Unwin
#1440
Carpenter #143e
Further to #TCGLetter1438, Tolkien says that p. 33 passes, p. 59 is improved. He has discovered “2 or 3” errors in the runic decoration on the title...
1955
15 July 1955
J.R.R. Tolkien to Allen & Unwin
#1447
Carpenter #165b
Tolkien received some additional proofs of The Return of the King back from the printers, and is still not happy with the result. He chalks it up to his...
22 July 1955
J.R.R. Tolkien to Allen & Unwin Ltd.
#479
Carpenter #166
Tolkien expresses dissatisfaction with the current proofreading procedure and raises concerns about potential errors in the published volume.
7 September 1955
J.R.R. Tolkien to Richard Jeffery
#481
Carpenter #168
Tolkien responds to Mr. Jeffery's letter. Tolkien discusses the command of Elvish script and mentions the upcoming release of Volume III, which will inc...
1957
3 May 1957
J.R.R. Tolkien to Charles Blackwood
#288
A letter to a young fan named Charles Blackwood. Discusses runes, Tolkien remarks that he did not invent the runes in The Hobbit. See for more details.
1963
25 June 1963
J.R.R. Tolkien to Rhona Beare
#620
Carpenter #245
Answers to the following questions: (1) In the ‘English runes’ used for Anglo-Saxon inscriptions, the rune does not stand for G as it does in The Lo...
1964
30 May 1964
J.R.R. Tolkien to Jane T. Sibley
#546
Tolkien thanks Miss Sibley for her letter and "close scrutiny" of his books. He says that any mystery regarding his runes are easily solved: The runes i...
10 July 1964
J.R.R. Tolkien to Alan White
#552
Tolkien replies thanking Alan White for his "Runes". Included in this typed letter was a signature written in Roman and Tengwar letters. See 'DTS 68 - T...
21st August 1964
J.R.R. Tolkien to Kurt Festinger
#1304
Tolkien responds to a fan letter, pointing out where the runes in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are translated in those books, and what his initi...
1965
20 July 1965
J.R.R. Tolkien to Zillah Sherring
#646
Carpenter #272
In a second-hand bookshop in Salisbury, Wiltshire, Zillah Sherring found and bought a copy of The Fifth Book of Thucydides which contained a number of s...
1967
17 May 1967
J.R.R. Tolkien to David Best
#996
In this letter Tolkien replies that he has received David's Tom Bombadil Part 1 in English runes and remarks that it is "very correct". This letter was ...
September 1967
J.R.R. Tolkien to David Best
#997
A partial view of this letter was featured on the BBC's Repair Shop broadcast on 25th January 2023 (see reference). In the letter, Tolkien remarks on ru...
109
16603