Christopher Tolkien facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Christopher Tolkien
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Tolkien in 2019
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| Born | Christopher John Reuel Tolkien 21 November 1924 Leeds, England |
| Died | 16 January 2020 (aged 95) Draguignan, France |
| Occupation | Editor, illustrator, academic |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Oxford (BA, BLitt) |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Notable awards | Bodley Medal (2016) |
| Spouse | Faith Faulconbridge Baillie Klass |
| Children | 3, including Simon Tolkien |
| Parents | J. R. R. Tolkien Edith Tolkien |
| Relatives | Hilary Tolkien (uncle) John Tolkien (brother) Priscilla Tolkien (sister) |
Christopher John Reuel Tolkien (born November 21, 1924 – died January 16, 2020) was an English editor and academic. He later became a French citizen. He was the son of the famous author J. R. R. Tolkien, who wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Christopher Tolkien spent many years editing and publishing his father's writings after his father passed away. These works included The Silmarillion and the 12-book series The History of Middle-earth. He also drew the first maps for his father's book, The Lord of the Rings.
Besides his father's fantasy works, Christopher Tolkien also edited other books. He worked on three tales by Geoffrey Chaucer and his father's translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Christopher Tolkien was born in Leeds, England. He was the third of four children. His parents were John Ronald Reuel and Edith Mary Tolkien.
He went to school at the Dragon School in Oxford. Later, he attended The Oratory School.
In 1943, he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF). He trained as a pilot in South Africa. After a short time as an RAF pilot, he moved to the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in 1945.
After World War II, he studied English at Trinity College, Oxford. He earned his first degree in 1949. A few years later, he received another degree called a B.Litt.
Career Highlights
Christopher Tolkien was a very important reader for his father's stories. When he was a child, he listened to tales about Bilbo Baggins. These stories later became The Hobbit.
As a teenager and young adult, he gave lots of ideas for The Lord of the Rings. This book took 15 years to write. Christopher also helped create the maps for Middle-earth. He had to understand his father's notes to draw the maps used in the books. In the late 1970s, he redrew the main map to make it clearer.
When he was 21, his father invited him to join the Inklings. This was a group of writers and thinkers. Famous members included C. S. Lewis.
In 1960, Christopher Tolkien published The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise. He translated this book from Icelandic. He then became a teacher at New College, Oxford, from 1964 to 1975. He taught English Language there.
In 2016, he received the Bodley Medal. This award honors great contributions to literature and culture.
Editing His Father's Works
J. R. R. Tolkien wrote many stories about his Middle-earth legendarium. But not all of them were published while he was alive. His father wanted to publish The Silmarillion with The Lord of the Rings. Parts of it were finished when he died in 1973, but the whole project was not.
J. R. R. Tolkien called his son his "chief critic and collaborator." He also named Christopher his literary executor in his will. This meant Christopher was in charge of his father's writings.
Christopher Tolkien organized a huge amount of his father's unpublished notes. Some were written on small pieces of paper many years earlier. Much of it was handwritten and messy. Names of characters often changed within the same story.
After his father's death, Christopher worked on these writings. In 1977, he published The Silmarillion. Then came Unfinished Tales in 1980. From 1983 to 1996, he published The History of Middle-earth in 12 volumes. These books shared many of the original notes his father wrote.
In 2007, Christopher published The Children of Húrin. His father had worked on this story between 1951 and 1957. It was one of his father's earliest tales, first written in 1918. Christopher combined different versions of the story into one book.
He also edited Beren and Lúthien, published in 2017. The next year, The Fall of Gondolin was published. These three books—The Children of Húrin, Beren and Lúthien, and The Fall of Gondolin—are known as the "Great Tales" of the Elder Days. His father thought these were the most important stories of the First Age.
Christopher Tolkien also edited other works by his father not related to Middle-earth. These included The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún (2009), The Fall of Arthur (2013), and Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary (2014).
He was also the chairman of the Tolkien Estate. This group manages his father's literary legacy. He stepped down from this role in 2017.
Thoughts on the Films
In 2001, Christopher Tolkien shared his thoughts on The Lord of the Rings films. These movies were directed by Peter Jackson. Christopher wondered if a film could truly capture the spirit of the books. He said this was just his personal view.
In a 2012 interview, he criticized the films. He felt they changed the books too much. He said they made them into "an action film for 15 to 25-year-olds."
He also had a legal disagreement with New Line Cinema in 2008. He believed his family was owed money from the films. In 2009, they reached an agreement. After that, he no longer opposed The Hobbit films.
Personal Life
Christopher Tolkien was married two times. He had two sons and one daughter.
His first marriage was in 1951 to Faith Lucy Tilly Tolkien. She was a sculptor. They separated in 1964 and divorced in 1967. Their son is Simon Mario Reuel Tolkien, who is a lawyer and novelist.
Christopher Tolkien married Baillie Tolkien in 1967. In 1975, they moved to the French countryside. Baillie later edited her father-in-law's book, The Father Christmas Letters. Christopher and Baillie had two children, Adam and Rachel.
Christopher and his son, Simon, had different views about The Lord of the Rings films. Christopher felt the books were not suitable for movies. Simon, however, became an advisor for the film series. They later made up, and Simon dedicated one of his novels to his father.
Christopher Tolkien passed away on January 16, 2020. He was 95 years old. He died in Draguignan, France.
See also
In Spanish: Christopher Tolkien para niños
