INSIDE THIS ARTICLE
Who was J. R. R. Tolkien?
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born 3rd January 1892 – 2nd September 1973, was an English author, philologist and academic. During his lifetime, he endured two World Wars, helped write the Oxford English Dictionary and wrote one of the best fantasy book series ever published.
During the First World War, Tolkien served as a temporary Second Lieutenant in the Lancashire Fusiliers from 15th July 1915. On 2nd June 1916 he was summoned to Folkestone to be posted into France and onto the front line, when he was involved in the Battle of the Somme, one of the most famous battles of the First World War. His involvement in the First World War is depicted in the live-action film Tolkien (2019), directed by Dome Karukoski, and staring Nicholas Hoult as our titular character, Tolkien and Lily Collins who plays Edith Bratt, Tolkien’s wife.
After the First World War, his first job as a civilian was at the Oxford English Dictionary where he mostly worked on the history and etymology of words of Germanix origin. He was tasked with beginning from the letter “W”.
While attending a teachers meeting at Merton College,Oxford in 1926, Tolkien was to meet what would become one of his best, life-long friends. C.S. Lewis, who was an author most famously known for his children’s fantasy stories, The Chronicles of Narnia.
After his death in 1973, Christopher Tolkien, his third eldest son, edited much of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work and published them all for the world’s enjoyment. Helping further expand what was an already incredible and developed world.
DOB
3rd January 1892 in Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa.
Died on 2nd September 1973, aged 81.
Genre
Fantasy, Fiction, Children’s
First Published
The Hobbit (1937)
The Lord of the Rings #0
Published by George Allen & Unwin
4.28 out of 5 on Goodreads
Book Series
Below you can find out more about the book series he has done and the best reading order for them.
Notable Awards
1957: The Lord of the Rings for International Fantasy Award for Fiction
1972: Order of the British Empire
1974: Gandalf Award – Grandmaster of Fantasy
1978: The Silmarillion for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel.
Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?”
― The Hobbit
Want to Know More?
If you have enjoyed any of J. R. R. Tolkien’s work and want to learn more about him or any other of his work, then do check out The Tolkien Estate’s website.
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Photo taken from his GoodReads profile