J. R. R. Tolkien

Lore & Background

Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein in the Orange Free State to Arthur Reuel Tolkien, an English bank manager, and his wife Mabel. After his father's death, his mother moved the family to England, where she taught him at home, including Latin and botany. She died when he was 12, and he was raised under the guardianship of Father Francis Xavier Morgan. He attended King Edward's School, Birmingham, and later St Philip's School. He was a devout Catholic and a close friend of C. S. Lewis, a co-member of the Inklings. After his death, his son Christopher published works based on his notes, including The Silmarillion. These, together with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, form a connected body of tales about a fantasy world called Arda and, within it, Middle-earth.

Reader's Guide

Tolkien's significance lies in his role as a foundational figure in modern fantasy literature. While many other authors had published works of fantasy before him, the tremendous success of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings ignited a profound interest in the fantasy genre and ultimately precipitated an avalanche of new fantasy books and authors. This has led to his popular identification as the 'father' of modern fantasy literature. His works, including posthumous publications by his son Christopher, form a connected body of tales, poems, fictional histories, invented languages, and literary essays about the fantasy world of Arda and Middle-earth. Tolkien's academic career as a philologist at Oxford University informed his creation of invented languages and detailed mythologies. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential authors of all time, and his legacy continues to shape the fantasy genre and popular culture.

Did You Know?

• Tolkien was bitten by a large baboon spider as a child in South Africa.
• His surname is of Low Prussian origin and probably means 'son/descendant of Tolk', though he mistakenly believed it derived from the German word tollkühn.