Transcript of BBC Radio 4 Tolkien Interview
This is the transcript of an interview with Tolkien by Dennis Gerrolt in 1971. The programme was on Radio 4 and called 'Now Read On ...'.
The audio links on the page no longer work, but the audio has been issued on CD's and documentaries about Tolkien and I assume would be in Douglas Andersons "On Tolkien: Interviews, Reminiscences, and Other Essays" audio book when published. Update Rowns has found the original audio files from the interview in the comments to this story.
Tolkien Interview Transcript
Trotter
February 3, 2010 @ 8:44 am
I think that the transcript on that page is just a part of the interview?
February 3, 2010 @ 10:15 am
The links are broken in the NFB website, but only because he moved to a different server at one point. Try this link instead: http://www.newsfrombree.co.uk/tolkien.mp3
After listening to the recording and reading the transcript simultaneously, there are a lot of minor words dropped (half started sentences, etc.) but the entire audio recording is transcribed - there are no missing sections for example. The audio stops abruptly at the end of Tolkien's last sentence so it is possible that there is more to the interview!
February 3, 2010 @ 10:20 am
Oh, and if you prefer the RealAudio version of the clip: http://www.newsfrombree.co.uk/tolkhi_1.ra
February 3, 2010 @ 11:02 am
Ardamir, You are right there is more to the interview, this one has been edited. I have another version of this interview on a CD called "The Spoken Word - British Writers" by the British Library, which has more of the interview, but also looks to be edited so not complete, compared with the version that Rowns found. I'll try and do a transcription of both versions of the interview into one transcript.
February 3, 2010 @ 11:49 am
Trotter, yes, I meant exactly that. Hopefully the complete interview will be on the On Tolkien: Interviews, Reminiscences, and Other Essays audio book. But I look forward to reading your transcript, Trotter.