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Guide to Tolkien's Letters
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5 Feb, 2010
2010-2-5 6:26:56 PM UTC
I have to agree with Max's comments here.

The teacher could have translated the text herself as she read to the children or just translated words that the children did not understand in English.
5 Feb, 2010
2010-2-5 10:20:34 PM UTC
Since I am totally new in this area, could anyone tell me how often you find a new letter from Tolkien in this forum?
6 Feb, 2010
2010-2-6 12:50:06 PM UTC

Max wrote
Since I am totally new in this area, could anyone tell me how often you find a new letter from Tolkien in this forum?

At the moment we tend to see more fake letters than real ones, but Tolkien was a prolific letter writer so they must be a lot of letters from him ready to be found like you did.
6 Feb, 2010
2010-2-6 8:25:54 PM UTC
I'd agree with Trotter and others - very nice to see what to all appearances is a real letter! Letters such as this show up for sale every few months or so, but most of those are well known (up for sale more than once as they change hands multiple times).

There is not much scholarly value to your particular letter, but it is very charming!
6 Feb, 2010
2010-2-6 11:09:33 PM UTC
This is a typical secretary letter of which I have seen over 200 by now... typed by Tolkien's secretary and also signed by this person. Clear match in autograph as well.
7 Feb, 2010
2010-2-7 12:13:57 AM UTC
I have seen some fan post which was not quit as personal and charming as this one.
7 Feb, 2010
2010-2-7 3:03:47 AM UTC
The letter seems genuine to us too, typed by a secretary but signed (quickly, in ballpoint) by Tolkien. For what it's worth, we've never seen a secretary-typed letter from Tolkien that he didn't sign personally, except for those clearly marked "p.p." (per procuriationem, by delegation to) with the secretary's name or initials. None of Tolkien's secretaries, as far as we know, ever tried to imitate his signature -- we doubt that he would have approved of the deception. Nor is it likely that Tolkien, who always took special care when writing to children, would not have signed this particular letter himself.

Wayne & Christina
7 Feb, 2010
2010-2-7 1:41:01 PM UTC
When did Tolkien first get a secretary to answer his mail, I always thought it was 1965 which is the year after this letter?
7 Feb, 2010
2010-2-7 1:48:31 PM UTC
The letter is from New Year's Eve 1964.
If he did now have a secretary at this time he would have written the letter himself. What is your feeling regarding style and content.
Did he write it himself? Does it tell anything about him?
7 Feb, 2010
2010-2-7 4:09:37 PM UTC
When did Tolkien first get a secretary to answer his mail, I always thought it was 1965 which is the year after this letter?

You may be thinking of Joy Hill, who began to help Tolkien with his fan mail by mid-1965. Christopher Tolkien has assumed that his father obtained a secretary circa December 1957. The earliest mention we have seen of Tolkien having a secretary is in a letter to Rayner Unwin of 24 February 1959. (See our Chronology, pp. 799-800.)

Wayne & Christina
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