An antiques dealer has been charged with selling allegedly fake Winston Churchill and J.R.R Tolkien signatures.

Allan Formhals, 65, from Milford on Sea, Lymington, Hampshire, faces 16 charges for offences related to owning and selling books and memorabilia.

The items in question also featured purported signatures from authors including Robert Louis Stevenson.

Mr Formhals has been bailed to appear at Southampton Magistrates Court on 14 November.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-15531541

- wellinghall

I was pleased to discover that Hobbitus Ille: The Latin Hobbit is scheduled for publication in September of 2012 by HarperCollins. So far there is incredibly little information available on the book beyond the title, except that the author is Mark Walker (author of Latin for Everyday Life and other books on Latin) and that HarperCollins was able to confirm that this is a real and active project in the works.

Is this a translation? That is my guess. I will share more as additional details emerge!

RR Auction currently has a nice signed letter in their auction 378, item number 655. Thanks to Trotter for pointing it out!

http://rrauction.com/bidtracker_detail.cfm?IN=655
http://rrauction.com/past_auction_item.cfm?ID=3247595

It is currently bid up to $2716 as of November 8th.
Sold Price: $4,339.20

TLS, one page, 8 x 10, February 17, 1963. Letter to Miss Julie Cape. In full, "Thank you very much for your nice letter. I was very pleased that you wrote to tell me you enjoyed The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. As for writing more about the same characters, I have written almost all there is to write about them. But I hope you will recognize some of the characters in another book I am busy writing, called The Silmarillion, which I hope will soon be finished. Please give my best wishes to your family and sister, it sounds as if I have many friends amongst them." In fine condition, with intersecting mailing folds, with two small holes at intersections of folds, and one fold passing directly above signature. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope. Tolkien, who died in 1973, never finished The Silmarillion. It was edited and published posthumously by his son, Christopher, in 1977. The Silmarillion tells the history of the First Age of Middle-Earth, the world in which The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are set. A magnificent letter mentioning all three of Tolkien's great works. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.

J. R. R. TOLKIEN - THE BOOKS, THE FILMS, THE WHOLE CULTURAL PHENOMENON

A new critical study of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and other books.

This new analysis by Jeremy Mark Robinson explores Tolkien's major writings (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, Beowulf: The Monster and the Critics, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and The History of Middle-earth volumes), Tolkien and fairy tales, the mythological, political and religious aspects of Tolkien's Middle-earth, the critics' response to Tolkien's fiction over the decades, the Tolkien industry (merchandizing, toys, role-playing games, posters, Tolkien societies, conferences and the like), Tolkien in visual and fantasy art, the cultural aspects of The Lord of the Rings (from the 1950s to the present), Tolkien's fiction's relationship with other fantasy fiction, such as C.S. Lewis and Harry Potter,and the TV, radio and film versions of Tolkien's books, including the new Hollywood interpretations of The Lord of the Rings.
The 2001-03 Hollywood films are discussed in great detail, with a scene-by-scene analysis of each film (including the extended cuts, and omissions, additions, alterations, etc). This new book draws on contemporary cultural theory and analysis and offers a sceptical but sympathetic and illuminating account of the Tolkien phenomenon. This book is designed to appeal to the general reader (and viewer) of Tolkien: it is written in a clear, jargon-free and easily-accessible style. It is also one of the most detailed explorations of Tolkien's writing - this study is almost as long as The Lord of the Rings!

The second edition has been completely updated and rewritten.

820pp Illustrations, bibliography, notes

ISBN-13 9781861712804 £30.00 / $50.00 PAPERBACK

ISBN-13 9781861713209 £50.00 / $75.00 HARDBACK

TOLKIEN'S HEROIC QUEST by Robert Rorabeck

A new critical study of J.R.R. Tolkien, concentrating on some of his lesser known works, such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son and The Battle of Maldon, as well as well-known works such as The Silmarillion and Tolkien's Middle-earth legends.

ISBN-13 9781861712394 £15.00 / $24.00

J.R.R. TOLKIEN: POCKET GUIDE

by Jeremy Mark Robinson

A new guide to the life and work of J.R.R. Tolkien, the premier British fantasy author of the 20th century, and his great works: The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. This guide is clearly written for the general reader, offering an all-round introduction to this hugely popular writer.

Jeremy Robinson has written many critical studies, including Steven Spielberg, Arthur Rimbaud, Jean-Luc Godard, and The Sacred Cinema of Andrei Tarkovsky, plus literary monographs on: Samuel Beckett; Thomas Hardy; André Gide; Robert Graves; and Lawrence Durrell.

Bibliography, notes 284pp

ISBN 1-86171-2782 £15.00 / $24.00

THE LORD OF THE RINGS MOVIES by Jeremy Mark Robinson

A pocket guide to the Hollywood adaptions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic The Lord of the Rings, released in 2001, 2002 and 2003. The book tells you everything you need to know about these very popular films, from writing the script through casting and financing, to shooting and performances, to visual effects, editing and theatrical distribution.

The pocket guide includes discussions of every single scene in the three movies, including the Special Extended Editions (including some key individual shots). There are sections on the all of the important differences between The Lord of the Ring book and the movies (including numerous details), as well a chapter exploring the additions and the omissions. Looks at behind the scenes stories, and also the critical response to the movies.

There are chapters on the visual effects, on the casting and key personnel of the movies, on the studio and the financing of the films, on the music and sound, and the marketing and release of the movies in 2001-2003 (including the home entertainment releases on DVD and video). There is also a chapter on the critical response to the movies.
There is also an appendix on other adaptions of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books.

Jeremy Robinson has written many critical studies, including Steven Spielberg, Arthur Rimbaud, Jean-Luc Godard, and The Sacred Cinema of Andrei Tarkovsky, plus literary monographs on: J.R.R. Tolkien; Samuel Beckett; Thomas Hardy; André Gide; Robert Graves; and Lawrence Durrell.

Bibliography, notes 284pp

ISBN 1-86171-2790 £15.00 / $24.00

Andy sends along these nice Tolkien images now available to purchase - “Barrel Rider” and "Beorn, Lord of the Wild". The works of art from Ted Nasmith are now available to purchase at adcbooks.co.uk or adcart.co.uk.

"Barrel Rider" is 18 inches x 24 inches framed, and is listed for £4000.

"Beorn, Lord of the Wild" is 28 inches x 26 inches and is listed for £5000.

Just a month or so ago, it was announced that The Hobbit was officially available in India, translated into Marathi. For a wonderful interview with the publisher and translator, please see This TolkienLibrary.com article.

Due to the current difficulty in obtaining this book if you do not live in India yourself, TolkienGuide.com has placed an order for multiple copies that I should have in hand before the end of the year. If you are interested in obtaining a copy, please send an email to webmaster@tolkienguide.com to reserve a copy, no pre-purchase required. The price is expected to be $30 (or less if I can manage it) including shipping to the USA - slightly more if you are elsewhere in the world. Note that www.hobbithunterbookshop.com also has copies they expect to have around the same time. I will update this article as additional sources become available for this title.

UPDATE Oct 28th: The Hobbit Hunter now has copies available. Henk says "At this moment I have 5 copies of this hobbit for sale. The price is EUR 26,00 plus postage (Netherlands EUR 2,76, Europe EUR 6,89, rest of the World EUR 16,15 (yes, that's pretty high!)). The book weights plm. 800 grams. If you want to order a book, you can contact me. But, as we say in Holland: OP = OP!"

My copies are still en route, I will share further updates soon.

“Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics” Seventy-five Years Later
Michael D.C. Drout

Thresholds to Middle-earth: Allegories of Reading, Allegories for Knowledge and Transformation
Andrew Hallam

The Pearl Maiden’s Psyche: The Middle English Pearl and the Allegorical-Visionary Impulse in Till We Have Faces
T.S. Miller

Is a “Christian” Mystery Story Possible? Charles Williams’s War in Heaven as a Generic Case Study
Sørina Higgins

Into the Lion’s Den: Joy Davidman and Metro-Goldwyn-Meyer
Don W. King

Christian, Norse, and Celtic: Metaphysical Belief Structures in Nancy Farmer’s The Saxon Saga
Marek Oziewicz

The Great War and Narnia: C.S. Lewis as Soldier and Creator
Brian Melton

The Lord of the Rings’ Interlace: The Adaptation to Film
Emily Auger

Reviews:
The Making of a Mystic: New and Selected Letters of Evelyn Underhill. Ed. Carol Poston. Reviewed by Joe R. Christopher.

From Girl to Goddess: The Heroine’s Journey Through Myth and Legend. By Valerie Estelle Frankel. Reviewed by Janet Brennan Croft.

The Wizard of Oz and Philosophy: Wicked Wisdom of the West. Ed. Randall E. Auxier and Phillip S. Seng. Reviewed by Ruth Berman.

C.S. Lewis’s Lost Aeneid: Arms and the Exile. Edited with an Introduction by A.T. Reyes. Reviewed by Richard C. West.

The Ring and the Cross: Christianity and The Lord of the Rings. Edited by Paul E. Kerry. Reviewed by Harley J. Sims.

Fastitocalon: Studies in Fantasticism Ancient to Modern 1.2 (2010); Journal of Inklings Studies 1.1 (March 2011); VII: An Anglo-American Literary Review 27 (2010); and Tolkien Studies: An Annual Scholarly Review 7 (2010). Reviewed by Janet Brennan Croft.

Nancy Martsch sends along this announcement - I know I will be ordering my copy!

Announcing the BEYOND BREE 2012 Calendar

Beyond Bree is pleased to present its 2012 Calendar featuring art focused on the Elves of Tolkien's Middle-earth. The calendar will feature classic art from Beyond Bree's past as well as new works by a host of artists from around the globe, including:

* Paula DiSante
* Sylvia Hunnewell
* Tim Kirk
* Octo Kwan
* Nancy Martsch
* Jef Murray
* Ted Nasmith
* Margaret Purdy Dean
* Daniel Smith
* Cecile van Zon
* Maciej Wignanski
and more!

The colour and black-and-white calendar will have both Middle-earth dates and real world holidays. It will be 11 x 8 1/2 inches, opening to 11 x 17 inches.

Pricing: $20 plus shipping - USA $2.00, the rest of the world $5.00.

PayPal orders will also be taken with a $1.00 surcharge.
Send PayPal payments (in USD) to: beyondbree@yahoo.com

Send check or money order (in USD, drawn on a US bank) to:
Nancy Martsch, PO Box 55372, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413, USA;
or send currency (at your own risk, in a sturdy envelope).

For more details, please e-mail beyondbree@yahoo.com

"Beyond Bree" is the newsletter of the JRR Tolkien Special Interest Group of American Mensa (Mensa is a high-IQ society). Subscriptions are open to all lovers of Tolkien's Middle-earth, Mensan and non-Mensan alike. "Beyond Bree" is published once a month, in both paper and electronic format. Subscriptions cost $15 per year USA (paper), foreign $20; electronic $10. Back issues are also available.
To pay by PayPal: pay to beyondbree@yahoo.com, add 50c ($1 foreign) for PayPal fee.
To pay by mail: make check or money order (in US dollars, drawn on a US bank) payable to Nancy Martsch, PO Box 55372, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413, USA.
A typical issue of "Beyond Bree" is 12 pages long, contains short articles on JRR Tolkien and his works; reviews of books, games, films, events by, about, or inspired by JRR Tolkien and his works, and general fantasy which might be of interest to the Tolkien fan. Also readers' views; fan publications, news, art, occasional poetry & puzzles. We seldom publish fiction. Since we are too widely scattered to meet in person, "Beyond Bree" carries news of conventions and gatherings where the Tolkien fan might find others of similar interests. And, if readers have questions about Tolkien or his works, we try to answer them.
You can learn more about us at our website at http://www.cep.unt.edu/bree.html

Two more scarce titles from David, available for sale at The Tolkien Bookshelf:

The Tale of Gondolin, Signed Limited Numbered Edition, #1 of 50, Full Leather Custom Clamshell Case
The Tale of Gondonlin - Assembled and revised by Alexander Lewis from the "Unfinished Tales", "The Book of Lost Tales" volume two, and "The Silmarillion" by J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien. Illuminated and illustrated by Ruth Lacon. Limited to fifty copies, this is Number 1 of 50 signed by the editor Alexander Lewis, and the illustrator Ruth Lacon. Preface to the assembled Tale of Gondolin, "The Tale of Gondolin is drawn from the various references to Turgon and his life throughout the Silmarillion, and sewn into the fabric of what was drawn from Unfinished Tales the chapter 'Of Tuor and his coming to Gondolin' which is reproduced as printed therein with little alteration, though where necessary, some of the notes to the Unfinished Tales were worked into the narrative where it was thought to clarify the text." "The Unfinished Tale was written by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1951 and left unaccountably unfinished; it would have given in fine detail all that appears as the brief chapter 23 of the Silmarillion, yet tragically it only reaches Tuor's entry into the Hidden City and it goes no further." "The rest of the Tale is therefore drawn from the account given in the Book of Lost Tales Volume Two. This account was first written in about 1916, or slightly later, and amended in 1920 for presentation as a paper to the Essay Club of Exeter College, Oxford, and then used as a basis for what appears in the Silmarillion (which was written between 1926 and 1930)." The first proof copies of this work were produced in 1987. The author refers to these books as the 'First Edition'. Only two copies were made...one red, leatherbound copy that was presented to Priscilla Tolkien and one clothbound copy for the authors own reference. Both books were A5 size and neither copies were signed or illustrated. The idea for an illustrated and illuminated book, to put the story into - in the style of medieval illuminated books, such as Lindisfarne Gospels etc. - came later on. The designs were presented to Priscilla Tolkien and we were given permission to produce "The Tale of Gondolin" as it now is. "The first copies of the Limited Edition were produced in 1994 & 1995. Number One originally went to Priscilla Tolkien as a thank you - and other copies went to either Tolkien Society members of members of the Mythopoeic Society in the USA. Demand for the copies diminished and production was halted with only 28 of the 50 copies complete. With the renewed interest in The Lord of the Rings from the Peter Jackson interpretation of the story....we decided to complete the print run and issue the final remaining copies in 2004." This copy is now housed in a custom designed, full Burgundy leather clamshell case, with gilt stamped "Tengwar" title, heraldic emblem, raised bands, gilt ruled edges, nothing spared to protect and show off this rare edition. This copy is in Very Good Plus condition. The burgundy cloth shows a little rubbing and the corners are bumped. The binding is a little loose, and the gutters, both front and rear, are starting to split at the bottom. There is also a bit of damp staining to the bottom of the front endpapers, this does not go into the text block and is minimal. The rear endpapers show a damp stain line across the bottom and does show lightly on the previous dozen or so pages. Not wrinkled or warped, just a light line across the bottom. There are no previous owners names or writing in the book, however there is an ink block 'N' stamp on the limitation notice, fortunately it fits very well into the design, and is not obtrusive. The overall condition of this copy is still Very Good Plus even with the minor faults. This copy is numbered 1 of 50. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire this very rare and elusive title. $2375

The Ruins of Osgiliath, Signed Limited Numbered Edition, #2 of 100, Full Leather Custom Clamshell Case
An offering of the very hard to come by, The Ruins of Osgiliath. This copy was assembled and revised by Alexander Lewis in 1995. Limited to fifty copies, The Tale of Gondolin is Number 2 of 50 signed by the editor Alexander Lewis. This is one of the original copies published in 1995. This copy is in Near Fine/Very Good Plus condition. The cloth exterior shows no soiling, clean and bright. It does have a couple of bumped corners and a little rubbing to the edges. The interior is clean and bright, no previous owners names or any writing noted. Overall a Near Fine copy of this elusive title. The Ruins of Osgiliath, 1st printing, 1995. This is the one volume folio size hardback, Limited to 100 copies worldwide, and a beautiful companion to The Tale of Gondolin (50 copies worldwide). The Complete Tales of the First City of Gondor. This collection of stories drawn and blended from the fabric of Middle-Earth by JRR Tolkien was first issued in a series of 3 comprehensive booklets for members of the Tolkien Society in 1990. Now they have been expanded and beautifully bound. This book is individually hand tipped and signed by Alex Lewis. This is a beautifully bound large book, and sure to be a real investment. With only 100 copies ever produced most of these are in the hands of Tolkien Completist's and are very hard to find. This copy is numbered 2 of 100. This very scarce book is a once in a lifetime opportunity to acquire this very rare and elusive title. A custom clamshell case, full black leather with silver stamping to front, raised bands with silver stamping to spine, is included to protect and display this wonderful book. $2375

Mallard House, Broadway Lane, South Cerney, Cirencester, GL7 5UQ
Tel: 01285 860006 / Email: info@dominicwinter.co.uk
http://www.dominic-winter.co.uk/

642 Tolkien (J.R.R.). Fellowship of the Ring, 1st ed., 4th imp., 1955; The Two Towers, 1st ed., 2nd imp., 1955; The Return of the King, 1st ed., 1st issue, 1955, folding map to rear of each, all orig. cloth in d.j.s, spines darkened with some fraying to spine ends, first vol. with small stain to upper wrapper, 8vo

Estimate: £200-300
(Plus a buyer's premium of 17.5% of the hammer price)
Sold for: £420.00