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PRESS RELEASE SOURCE: HERITAGE AUCTIONS
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Dallas, Texas (July 12, 2022) — “The correct pronunciation is therefore Tolkeen, with the accent on the ‘o’ (as in doll). Yours sincerely, J. R. R. Tolkien.”
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Fans of the great fantasy novelist may be familiar with his penchant for writing letters to his family and his publishers, but the letters most cherished by his faithful readers are those that explain his inspiration for Middle-Earth. Few had more passion for world-building than Tolkien, except perhaps his fans, who even in the earliest days of the series reached out to the author personally for illumination on the sources of their favorite tales.
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To a fan who wrote to Tolkien upon the release of his still-new Lord of the Rings trilogy, Tolkien thoughtfully replied on April 12, 1956:
“It’s not consciously based on anything but a complete ‘invention,’ like the supposed Elvish languages. But there is no ‘invention’ in the void, and naturally in digested form I am indebted to the myths and legends of literature. But most specially to those of England and Wales (for Gaelic of Ireland and Scotland I have to great liking).”
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This two-page, handwritten, autographed letter from the author to an enthusiastic reader is one of the numerous centerpiece offerings in Heritage Auctions’ July 27-28 Rare Books Signature® Auction.
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Says James Gannon, Director of Rare Books, “The reply, coveted by any fan of the author, touches on some of Tolkien’s inspirations for Lord of the Rings, steeped in his academic scholarship and personal interests and a brief history of the name ‘Tolkien.’ It’s a remarkable, insightful offering.”
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In keeping with this gratifying find, Heritage also highlights a first-edition set of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, including the books’ original illustrated first-state dust jackets. The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King make up a “stunning set, nearly as captivating and coveted as the One Ring itself. The first impression of The Fellowship of the Ring was composed of merely 3,000 copies, making a complete trilogy set in this condition something truly precious,” says Gannon.
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