JRR Tolkien’s son Christopher dies aged 95: Tributes are paid to ‘titan’ of Middle-earth who helped posthumously publish many of his father’s works
- Christopher Tolkien, the son of author JRR Tolkien, has died at the age of 95
- The World War Two veteran served in the RAF and later became a lecturer
- Writers and Tolkien scholars around the world have paid tribute to the ‘titan’
The son of Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien, has died at the age of 95.
Literary figures paid tribute to the ‘titan’ who helped to edit and publish JRR Tolkien’s work after he died, including The Silmarillion and The History of Middle-earth.
The World War Two veteran was stationed in South Africa with the RAF during the war, and later became a lecturer in Old and Middle English at Oxford University.
Tolkien scholars have paid tribute to ‘titan’ Christopher Tolkien, who has died aged 95. Tolkien won Oxford University’s Bodley Medal in 2016, for his ‘outstanding contributions’ to communications and literature
An education charity that helps to promote the work of JRR Tolkien said that the ‘titan’ Christopher will be ‘sorely missed’.
The Tolkien Society Chair, Shaun Gunner, said: ‘All of us in the Tolkien Society will share in the sadness at the news of Christopher Tolkien’s death, and we send our condolences to Baillie, Simon, Adam, Rachel and the whole Tolkien family at this difficult time.
‘Christopher’s commitment to his father’s works have seen dozens of publications released, and his own work as an academic in Oxford demonstrates his ability and skill as a scholar.
Christopher Tolkien was critical of Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning The Lord Of The Rings film trilogy. Viggo Mortensen is pictured in The Lord Of The Rings – The Return Of The King, which came out in 2003
‘Millions of people around the world will be forever grateful to Christopher for bringing us The Silmarillion, The Children of Húrin, The History of Middle-earth series and many others.’
Tolkien scholar Dr Dimitra Fimi hailed Tolkien for enriching the public’s understanding of Middle-earth.
She said: ‘Tolkien studies would never be what it is today without Christopher Tolkien’s contribution.
‘From editing The Silmarillion to the mammoth task of giving us The History Of Middle-earth series, he revealed his father’s grand vision of a rich and complex mythology.
Literary figures paid tribute to the ‘titan’ who helped to edit and publish JRR Tolkien’s work after he died, including The Silmarillion and The History of Middle-earth. JRR Tolkien is pictured above in 1967
‘He gave us a window into Tolkien’s creative process, and he provided scholarly commentary that enriched our understanding of Middle-earth. He was Middle-earth’s cartographer and first scholar.’
Tolkien was critical of Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning The Lord Of The Rings film trilogy.
In a 2012 interview with the French newspaper Le Monde, he criticised the adaptations, saying: ‘They gutted the book, making an action film for 15 to 25-year-olds.’
In the same interview, he spoke of the impact of his father’s stories.
He said: ‘As strange as it may seem, I grew up in the world he created. For me, the cities of The Silmarillion are more real than Babylon.’
Tolkien won Oxford University’s Bodley Medal in 2016, for his ‘outstanding contributions’ to communications and literature.