Mannen som kidnappade Sagan om ringen

In September 1973, a new chapter in history begins. The legendary author and professor J.R.R. Tolkien dies at the age of 81. Over the past 20 years, The Lord of the Rings has grown into an industry. It’s estimated that the books sell between two and three million copies—just in Sweden. That’s why many are eager to get their hands on the story of Middle-earth—and now it’s J.R.R. Tolkien’s son, Christopher, who is managing his father’s legacy. Not only have the books been published, but also the unpublished sequel, The Silmarillion, which covers the time before The Lord of the Rings. Fans worldwide are waiting for it, calling it the Bible of The Lord of the Rings. Christopher is working on putting The Silmarillion together.
Due to the heavy speculation surrounding this book, Ohlmarks felt it would be logical for him, as an established interpreter and translator in Sweden, to meet the editor—Christopher—who was set to publish his father’s collected writings in this compilation called The Silmarillion.
Magnus Åberg helps run Sweden’s largest Tolkien website, and he finally manages to arrange a meeting with him. Åke had never met the elder Tolkien before, but with the professor’s death, old grudges seem forgotten. They agree to meet at Christopher Tolkien’s home in the early midmorning on New Year’s Eve.
So, on New Year’s Eve, Åke heads to the Tolkien family home. Ohlmarks is unsure what “early midmorning” means, so he arrives at nine in the morning—apparently far too early.
Åke waits in the living room, where there’s a large Christmas tree decorated with lights, English flags, apples, and toffee candies.
After a while, Christopher appears. He’s tall and lanky with graying hair. Around this point, Åke gets an idea. "I raised my voice and thought this was the best idea I’d ever had—to cautiously approach the lion in its den." Christopher begins explaining what the book will be about. Åke starts taking copious notes. Christopher tells him, “You must understand that this information is privileged—classified.” Then he talks about the time long before Bilbo and the One Ring, about how the first Elves were born, how they created the radiant, mystical gems called the Silmarils, which were incredibly beautiful, and about the wars fought over these stones. Christopher shows maps of the vast fantasy world that the elder Tolkien had created before his death. But Christopher Tolkien explicitly tells him, “You must not write anything. You cannot write an article or anything about this.” "I replied that it was never my intention. Perhaps I might use the material for a small book, but I didn’t say that."
Back in Sweden, Åke’s visit is big news. Here in the studio sits Åke Ohlmarks, recently returned from a trip to London. “Yes, I was in London and Oxford for just over two weeks during the Christmas holidays. I took the opportunity to meet Christopher Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien’s son, in Oxford and West Hanney. And I’m actually the only one who has gained full clarity on the progress of Tolkien’s posthumous masterpiece, The Silmarillion.” Before the interview ends, he drops a surprising piece of news: “To that end, I’ve written a book, a small book of a couple hundred pages called Tolkien and The Silmarillion. It might be published in English. I’ll immediately send a photocopy to London.” And I finished the manuscript and submitted it today.
He writes a book about what he believes The Silmarillion will cover—using all this classified information that wasn’t supposed to be revealed until The Silmarillion was complete. He sends a copy to Oxford. When a response finally comes, it’s understandably upset, stating, “You cannot write this. I told you this was classified information, and I asked you not to write anything.”
Accounts of what really happened in Oxford vary. The Tolkien family has never officially commented, but Christopher Tolkien’s secretary, Guy Gavriel Kay, shared his version of Ohlmarks’ visit in a Lord of the Rings fan magazine. He supported his claims. The little booklet he tried to write after his visit was so detailed that he couldn’t have simply remembered it all—he must have recorded it, either with a tape recorder or a camera. After that, it’s clear that Ohlmarks is never to touch Tolkien’s work again. It’s a condition that if the publisher wants the rights to The Silmarillion when it’s finally released, Ohlmarks must have nothing to do with it. The book is withdrawn, and Åke is never allowed to translate Tolkien again.