Lord of the Rings author Tolkien’s letters fetch over £100k

The correspondence between the celebrated author and Eileen Elgar, dating from the 1960s, was auctioned at Sotheby’s in London.

Among the items was a letter referencing the death of author C.S. Lewis and a signed copy of “The Adventures of Tom Bombadil,” which alone fetched £20,480.

The entire collection, including six signed books and five letters, reached a total selling price of £103,680, inclusive of the seller’s premium.

Elgar, who died in 1980, lived near the Hotel Miramar in Bournemouth, where Tolkien and his wife regularly holidayed.

She began writing to the Oxford-based author in her fifties, advised by her daughter to seek answers to her questions about his books directly from him.

The correspondence developed into a friendship, with Elgar offering suggestions for Tolkien’s work.

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Tolkien lived with his family at 22 Northmoor Road in Oxford from 1926 to 1930 and at 20 Northmoor Road (above) from 1930 to 1947. (Image: Oxford Blue Plaque Board)

The relationship grew to the extent that Tolkien visited Elgar at her home.

An autographed note, tucked into a copy of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” was also part of the auction.

The note revealed Tolkien’s thought process behind the creation of the race of Dwarves in Middle-earth and was part of a lot of three volumes of “The Lord of the Rings” from 1961.

Describing Elgar in a letter to his grandson in 1963, Tolkien noted her as an ‘admirer’ of his, ‘highly intelligent & well read,’ and ‘stone deaf,’ which meant communication had to be via ‘writing pad.’