1937

4 January 1937

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Susan Dagnall

#9

 Carpenter #9

Tolkien details work he has recently completed on maps for The Hobbit, as well as other suggestions. Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull note that ther...

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....

17 January 1937

J.R.R. Tolkien to C.A. Furth

#10

 Carpenter #10

Tolkien discusses the details of, and placement within the text, some of his illustrations in The Hobbit, as well as potential changes to his illustrati...

1 February 1937

Susan Dagnall to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1848

Susan Dagnall writes to Tolkien, correcting a misstatement in her previous letter . Thror's Map will ahve to be used as an endpaper due to costs, but no...

5 February 1937

J.R.R. Tolkien to Susan Dagnall

#11

 Carpenter #11

Tolkien replies to Susan Dagnall of GA&U on matters of the reproductions of some of his illustrations in The Hobbit. In the 2023 revised edition of Lett...

25 April 1937

J.R.R. Tolkien to Charles Furth

#137

Tolkien writes back to Furth in regards to the dustjacket design for The Hobbit. Furth wrote on April 15th that the pink hue that Tolkien put on the mou...

28 April 1937

C.A. Furth (GA&U) to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1871

Furth writes to Tolkien to say that the red will have to be removed from The Hobbit jacket and the sun will have an outline to highlight it. This letter...

11 May 1937

C.A. Furth (GA&U) to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1872

C. A. Furth informs Tolkien that a US publisher is interested in publishing The Hobbit and they would like to add four colour illustrations to the book....

28 May 1937

J.R.R. Tolkien to Allen & Unwin

#475

Tolkien, writing to GA&U approves the dust-jacket for The Hobbit but feels the sun would be better with a finer outline. He prefers the green binding an...

28 May 1937

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Allen & Unwin Ltd.

#14

 Carpenter #14

In this three-page handwritten letter, Tolkien writes to his publisher about the release date for The Hobbit, going on at length about how it would be b...

1 June 1937

C.A. Furth (GA&U) to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1919

Writing to Tolkien, C. A. Furth of GA&U asks him to return the approved binding for The Hobbit. He agrees that the 'wavy line' will be removed, but says...

?9 July 1937

J.R.R. Tolkien to C.A. Furth

#1945

Tolkien writes to Furth of GA&U. He agrees that the revised binding would do. He had hoped that the 'wavy line' would be transfromed into something and ...

?22 July 1937

J.R.R. Tolkien to George Allen & Unwin

#1946

Tolkien writes to GA&U and encloses the most recent photograph of himself as requested by Susan Dagnall. By letter or in person? He asks them again abou...

13 August 1937

J.R.R. Tolkien to C.A. Furth

#1966

Tolkien writes to C. A. Furth asking that copies of The Hobbit be sent to R. W. Chambers and George S. Gordon. He says that GA&U can use the colour illu...

13 August 1937

J.R.R. Tolkien to Stanley Unwin

#1967

Writing to Stanley Unwin, Tolkien hopes that they can lunch together when he visits London next, most likely in November. He has not as yet had time to ...

c. 14 August 1937

George Allen & Unwin to R.W. Chambers

#1984

As requested by Tolkien, C. A. Furth sends a copy of The Hobbit to R. W. Chambers. It is assumed that with any manuscript/proofs or copies of books sent...

16 August 1937

C.A. Furth (GA&U) to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1968

Furth confirms that he has sent the copies of the Hobbit to the people Tolkien requested. He includes the drawing of a dragon that Tolkien had produced ...

5-7 September 1937

J.R.R. Tolkien to C.A. Furth (of George Allen and Unwin)

#81

Writing to C.A. Furth, and apologizes for his lengthy letter regarding the dustcover blurb. Tolkien believes he is still waiting on five copies of The H...

15th December 1937

Stanley Unwin to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1109

Stanley writes to Tolkien with news that the first edition of The Hobbit has sold and a new printing will be issued almost immediately. He notes that To...

16 December 1937

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Stanley Unwin

#22

 Carpenter #19

Tolkien has received a letter from Arthur Ransome, who wonders about the use of the word "man" in The Hobbit, as well as a few other letters from reader...

1938

3rd May, 1938

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Stanley Unwin to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1989

Stanley writes a short cover letter to Tolkien explaining that Rayner has had little time (going to boarding school on this day), but has scribbled down...

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...

24 July 1938

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J.R.R. Tolkien to C.A. Furth

#35

 Carpenter #31

Tolkien bemoans The Hobbit being published in 1937 over 1938. His work pressure has left him hard-pressed to get into actions on the sequel. Tolkien has...

25 July 1938

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Stanley Unwin

#33

 Carpenter #29

Tolkien wrote to Stanley Unwin in response to a letter from a German publisher, Rütten & Loening Verlag. They wanted to publish a German translation of...

25 July 1938

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Rütten & Loening Verlag

#34

 Carpenter #30

Rütten & Loening Verlag, the German publisher enquired about publishing a German translation of The Hobbit. As part of their conditions they wanted to ...

1939

15 September 1939

J.R.R. Tolkien to Phillip Unwin

#1376

 Carpenter #36b

Tolkien updates Phillip Unwin on the current situation at universities given the news of war with Germany. He says there will be a reduced demand, but s...

19 December 1939

J.R.R. Tolkien to Stanley Unwin

#52

 Carpenter #37

Tolkien, writing to Stanley Unwin, expresses gratitude for the kind note and apologizes for his neglectful correspondence due to personal and health iss...

1946

30 September 1946

J.R.R. Tolkien to Stanley Unwin

#252

 Carpenter #106

Tolkien expresses delight at the prospect of publishing "Farmer Giles of Ham" but cites academic commitments as a hindrance to providing more material p...

1953

31 August 1953

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#1428

 Carpenter #140a

Tolkien writes, reminding Rayner that he will be in London the following day, he hopes Rayner will have time to lunch with him. He will arrive at Museum...

23 September 1953

J.R.R. Tolkien to W.N. Beard

#1430

 Carpenter #140c

Tolkien apologizes for his delay in providing comments on the drawings. He does not think them satisfactory. He says that he should have been more caref...

1955

30 September 1955

J.R.R. Tolkien to Philip Unwin (Allen & Unwin Ltd.)

#483

 Carpenter #170

Tolkien feels that his life may be in danger if The Return of the King is not published soon. This letter is held at the 'Tolkien–George Allen & Unwin...

12 October 1955

J.R.R. Tolkien to Philip Unwin (Allen & Unwin Ltd.)

#518

 Carpenter #172

Tolkien writes to Allen & Unwin, stressing that they must publish The Return of the King on the 20th October 1955. The letter is held at the 'Tolkien–...

8 December 1955

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#526

 Carpenter #177

Tolkien expresses his agreement with critics' negative views on the radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien anticipates negative responses to...

12 December 1955

J.R.R. Tolkien to Allen & Unwin Ltd.

#527

 Carpenter #178

Tolkien writes about Victorian Warwickshire as an inspiration for the Shire. Additional quotes from this letter appear in Chronology. The original is he...

1956

24 November 1956

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#1456

 Carpenter #194b

In regards to the Dutch translation of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien says he has not the time or energy to be overly critical of it, and in any case ha...

1957

3 February 1957

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#1457

 Carpenter #195a

Tolkien says that work is still getting in the way of him spending any time on The Silmarillion. He is having trouble with a professor in America as wel...

1 March 1957

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#1458

 Carpenter #195b

Tolkien apologizes to Rayner for being exhausted at their previous meeting and says he is recovering from a very stressful school term. He says that he ...

7 September 1957

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#576

 Carpenter #201

Tolkien expresses dissatisfaction with the current script for the proposed film version of The Lord of the Rings. Previously, Wayne G. Hammond and Chris...

1958

14 January 1958

Rayner Unwin to J.R.R. Tolkien

#1674

Rayner has found a lady who can index The Lord of the Rings for him, and notes that he has said it is to be in "two parts". One of proper names and one ...

8 April 1958

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#580

 Carpenter #206

Tolkien describes in great detail his trip to Rotterdam.

8 April 1958

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#581

 Carpenter #207

Tolkien expresses his intent to review the "Story-Line" provided by Zimmerman for the animated film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien indicat...

27 May 1958

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#1683

Tolkien writes to Rayner Unwin, including a letter with a sheet of answers to be forwarded to Nancy Smith. He has been waylaid by many bothers and will ...

1959

11 September 1959

J.R.R. Tolkien to Allen & Unwin

#592

 Carpenter #217

Tolkien writes about the Polish translation of The Lord of the Rings. A slightly different quotation from the letter is given in Chronology from that re...

1960

9 February 1960

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#1470

 Carpenter #222a

Tolkien informs Rayner that by way of looking at the "Scunthorpe lists" This letter is held at the 'Tolkien–George Allen & Unwin archive, HarperCollins'.

31 July 1960

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#599

 Carpenter #223

Tolkien's publishing commitments are catching up with him. Chronology reproduced a slightly longer selection of the letter than what appears in Letters....

1961

24 January 1961

J.R.R. Tolkien to Allen & Unwin

#603

 Carpenter #228

Tolkien writes about including the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings in translations. Quoted selections from the letter appear in Chronology that are ...

30 December 1961

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#611

 Carpenter #236

Tolkien has read the Puffin Hobbit and was not impressed with changes made to the book. Chronology contains additional quoted material beyond what appea...

1962

12 April 1962

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#612

 Carpenter #237

Tolkien discusses progress with The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. Chronology contains additional material quoted beyond what appears in Letters. The origi...

20 July 1962

J.R.R. Tolkien to Alina Dadlez

#614

 Carpenter #239

Writing to Alina Dadlez, Tolkien explains his displeasure at the Spanish translation of 'Hobbit' and remarks back to the "private fancies" of the transl...

21 July 1962

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#1477

 Carpenter #239a

Tolkien informs Rayner Unwin that he is now "in residence" until 2 October and will return on 10 October as he is once again involved in term. He is sta...

19 September 1962

J.R.R. Tolkien to Alina Dadlez

#498

Tolkien writes explaining that "I prefer hobitos since it preserves to the eye more relationship to the original word. I do not much mind the h being 'm...

?19 November, 1962

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#1479

 Carpenter #241b

In secret, Allen & Unwin had been putting a 'Festschrift' together to present to Tolkien on his 70th birthday. Tolkien writes to to congratulate Rayner ...

28 November 1962

J.R.R. Tolkien to Sir Stanley Unwin

#617

 Carpenter #242

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil was published on 22 November. Additional quotes and context appear in Chronology than what is in Letters. The original le...

1963

Oct 11 1963

J.R.R. Tolkien to Joy Hill

#1862

Tolkien writes to his secretary about the American deluxe Hobbit proposal, which had sent him a specimen of artwork from Virgil Finlay. He has some issu...

23 December 1963

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#628

 Carpenter #253

It had been agreed that the new paperback (see no. 248) should be given the title Tree and Leaf. Rayner Unwin asked if Tolkien could suggest a suitable ...

1964

11 September 1964

J.R.R. Tolkien to Joy Hill

#638

 Carpenter #264

Tolkien really does not like the design of HMCo's Tree and Leaf. He comments negatively on Carole Ward's proposal for a serialization of The Lord of the...

1965

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...

28 July 1965

J.R.R. Tolkien to Austin Olney

#648

 Carpenter #274

Tolkien discusses revising The Lord of the Rings and the maps. Additional quotes can be found in the Chronology entry for this letter. The original is i...

24 August 1965

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#1484

 Carpenter #275a

Tolkien apologizes once again for being late in getting work to Rayner, this time revisions on the 3rd edition of The Hobbit. He says that many revision...

8 November 1965

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#1010

 Carpenter #280

Tolkien is working on drafts of Sir Gawain and Pearl and finding interesting words and passages that he hopes to write up for academic journals. An expa...

15 December 1965

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#654

 Carpenter #281

Tolkien writes about a new UK paperback edition of The Hobbit. He comments on replacing the note explaining Bilbo's changed story and the two Thrains wi...

29 December 1965

J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin

#1486

 Carpenter #282a

Tolkien shoots down any idea of a "Tolkien Award" by Ace Books, and suspects that this is just a way for them to make themselves feel better about denyi...

1966

15 August 1966

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J.R.R. Tolkien to Lena de Grummond

#1916

Tolkien responds to Mrs. de Grummond's request for manuscript material. He declines. A brief quote from this letter is reproduced in Chronology. The let...

1967

2 January 1967

J.R.R. Tolkien to Otto B. Lindhardt

#795

Tolkien states that his efforts to help translators, or in reading their efforts, has made it clear that the nomenclature of people and places is diffic...