So, today's mail brought my copy of BLACK AND WHITE OGRE COUNTRY: THE LOST TALES OF HILARY TOLKIEN, edited by Angela Gardner and illustrated by Jef Murray. It's a slim little book, only seventy-three pages, but in addition to some reminiscences of early days cast into semi-fictional form like bedtime stories it has a brief biographical section in the end which publishes for the first time several wonderful photographs of not just Hilary but also Mabel Tolkien (looking like she was going grey early), the two brothers Hilary and JRRT together, and a family shot (circa 1955) that includes both brothers and Aunt Jane. And one real little treasure: two snippets from a previously unpublished Tolkien letter written in 1971.
More later.
--JDR
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2 comments:
One minor point, John - you say at one stage "(circa)" - is there meant to be a date there?
Andrew
Hi Andrew
Yes, it should have read "circa 1955". I've gone in and fixed it.
--JDR
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