1950
1950
Moves house again
He and Edith move to a larger house in Holywell Street, another Merton College property but the constant traffic noise is a major irritation.
May
1953
‘The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth, Beorhthelm’s Son’
Publication of a dramatic dialogue in verse, based on the aftermath of the Battle of Maldon in Essex in 991.
1953
Moves for the third time in six years
Seeking a quieter location, he and Edith move to 76 Sandfield Road in Headington, two miles uphill from the city centre.
March
1953
Sir Gawain lecture
Delivers the W.P. Ker Memorial Lecture at the University of Glasgow, entitled, ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’, later published in The Monsters and the Critics (1983).
15 April
1954
The Lord of the Rings, vols. 1 & 2
The Fellowship of the Ring is published in July, followed four months later by The Two Towers.
July and November
1955
The Lord of the Rings, vol. 3
The final volume, The Return of the King, is published.
October
1955
‘English and Welsh’
Delivers the first O’Donnell Lecture, ‘English and Welsh’, in Oxford. It is later published in The Monsters and the Critics (1983).
21 October
1959
Retires
Retires from the University of Oxford and delivers a valedictory address in Merton College which is later published in J.R.R. Tolkien, Scholar and Storyteller (1979).
5 June
1960
1962
Ancrene Wisse
Publishes Ancrene Wisse: The English Text of the Ancrene Riwle, an edition of a thirteenth-century prose work.
1962
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
Publishes his first volume of poetry, The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book.
1964
Tree and Leaf
Publication in one volume of ‘On Fairy-stories’ (1947) and Leaf, by Niggle (1945). In later editions the poem, ‘Mythopoeia’ is added.
1967
Smith of Wootton Major
Publication of a fairy story based on ‘the bereavement of “retirement”, and of advancing age’, illustrated by Pauline Baynes.
1968
The Road Goes Ever On
Publication of a song-book containing poems by Tolkien set to music by Donald Swann.
1968
Leaves Oxford
He and Edith move to a modern bungalow in Poole, Dorset, where they hope to live quietly in retirement. They had spent many holidays in neighbouring Bournemouth.
July
1970
1971
Edith Dies
His wife Edith Mary Tolkien dies in Bournemouth after a short illness. They had been married for fifty-five years.
29 November
1972
Returns to Oxford
He moves back to the centre of Oxford and lives in a flat belonging to Merton College. As an emeritus fellow of Merton he is welcomed back into college life.
January
1972
C.B.E
Awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the New Year’s Honours List. Receives his medal from the Queen.
28 March
1973
Dies aged 81
Dies in Bournemouth whilst visiting friends.
2 September
1975
Middle English translations
Publication of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Pearl and Sir Orfeo, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1976
Brother dies
Hilary Arthur Reuel Tolkien dies aged 81.
25 January
1976
The Father Christmas Letters
A selection of letters and illustrations from ‘Father Christmas’ is published, edited by Baillie Tolkien. Later editions are published as Letters from Father Christmas.
1977
The Silmarillion
Publication of the long-awaited Silmarillion, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1979
Pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien
Publication of a selection of his artwork, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1980
1980
Unfinished Tales
Publication of Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1981
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Publication of a volume of letters selected and edited by Humphrey Carpenter, with the assistance of Christopher Tolkien.
1982
Mr. Bliss
Publication of a children’s story, written and illustrated by the author.
1983
The Book of Lost Tales, I
Publication of volume 1 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1983
The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays
Publication of a collection of essays edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1984
The Book of Lost Tales, II
Publication of volume 2 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1985
The Lays of Beleriand
Publication of volume 3 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1986
The Shaping of Middle-earth
Publication of volume 4 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1987
The Lost Road
Publication of volume 5 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1988
The Return of the Shadow
Publication of volume 6 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1989
The Treason of Isengard
Publication of volume 7 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1990
1990
The War of the Ring
Publication of volume 8 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1992
Sauron Defeated
Publication of volume 9 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1993
Morgoth’s Ring
Publication of volume 10 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1994
The War of the Jewels
Publication of volume 11 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1995
Artist and Illustrator
Publication of J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator, edited by Wayne Hammond & Christina Scull.
1996
The Peoples of Middle-earth
Publication of volume 12 of The History of Middle-earth, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
1998
Roverandom
Publication of a children’s story edited by Christina Scull & Wayne G. Hammond.
2000
2007
The Children of Húrin
Publication of a standalone tale from the legendarium, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
2009
The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún
Publication of two long poems inspired by the Norse legends and edited by Christopher Tolkien.
2010
2013
The Fall of Arthur
Publication of an unfinished verse rendering of the legend of King Arthur, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
2014
Beowulf
Publication of Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
2015
The Story of Kullervo
Publication of one of his earliest works, adapted from the Finnish Kalevala and edited by Verlyn Flieger.
2017
Beren and Lúthien
Publication of the different versions of the tale of Beren and Lúthien from the Silmarillion, edited by Christopher Tolkien.
2018
The Fall of Gondolin
Publication of one of the earliest tales of Middle-earth, illustrated by Alan Lee and edited by Christopher Tolkien. This was Christopher Tolkien’s last publication. He died on 16th January 2020 having dedicated more than forty-five years to studying, editing and publishing his father’s works.
