The Fireside

  I’d like to take a moment of appreciation for this edition of LotR , from back in 2014 (ISBN 9780007525546). This edition is now out of print, and is no longer sold new from the likes of Waterstones, Blackwell’s, Amazon directly, etc . Description: “A sumptuous new one-volume edition of Tolkien’s classic masterpiece that is fully illustrated throughout in watercolour by the acclaimed and award-winning artist, Alan Lee, and housed in a special transparent slipcase. Since it was first published in 1954, The Lord of the Rings has been a book people have treasured. Steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness, its sweeping fantasy has touched the hearts of young and old alike. Well over 100 million copies of its many editions have been sold around the world, and occasional collectors’ editions become prized and valuable items of publishing. With the epic trilogy now an acclaimed, award-winning and billion-dollar success, images of the characters and landscapes have become iconic...

  The info for next year's calendar (going on sale later this  year) has been revealed! Since that William Morrow is now practically identical to HarperCollins (since  The Fall of Numenor  and the Author Illustrated Trilogy), I will now showcase them  both . Each new Tolkien release since those titles has been the same - when offered by publishers, that is - has been the exact same, except for the publisher name and logo.  HarperCollins, July 17:  9780008737771 William Morrow, August 12:  9780063443716 The official Tolkien calendar, this year containing 13 breathtaking paintings inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s three 'Great Tales' of Middle-earth: THE CHILDREN OF HÚRIN, BEREN AND LÚTHIEN and THE FALL OF GONDOLIN. Featuring beautiful artwork by Alan Lee, including a selection of stunning new paintings and drawings appearing here for the first time. The official Tolkien calendar has become an established publishing event, eagerly anticipated by Tolkien ...

  Well, this is certainly a surprise! Via the Tolkien Newsletter from HarperCollins, they've announced that later this year there will be a 70th Anniversary Edition of The Lord of the Rings !  Sometimes, the time window can vary for when a book release is announced to when it's going to be published. I had thought that that 'window' has closed for future editions of The Lord of the Rings , especially considering how packed HarperCollins' Tolkien publishing schedule is.  I had also thought that should there be another edition of The Lord of the Rings , that it would essentially be the Author Illustrated 1-book standard hardback, divided into 3. I was wrong! It is refreshing to see HarperCollins offer a deluxe release of The Lord of the Rings  as 3 books as opposed to 1.  For those who don't subscribe to the newsletter, here's the portion pertaining to the new edition: We're thrilled to share an exclusive first look at this deluxe, three-volume slipcased h...

The Folio Society's limited-edition of The Lord of the Rings has sold out in about 36 hours after it was announced. Sadly, I didn't get the chance to write about it here, as I often enjoy doing about new Tolkien books/editions. In their catalogue, they've been publishing editions of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings , and The Silmarillion . With the release of the limited-edition of The Lord of the Rings by Alan Lee, there's obviously been requests for matching editions of The Hobbit and The Silmarillion . THE HOBBIT For The Hobbit , they have four artists they could go with to produce a similar edition which would match the recent Lord of the Rings . First up, is John Howe, whose Smaug (above) is among my favourite Tolkien pieces. John Howe has sort-of-but-not-really illustrated The Hobbit before: he did the infamous pop-up book. This would be a wonderful occasion to include some of his newer pieces related to The Hobbit that haven't been published yet (aside ...

Today marks a special occasion: it's now been 30 years since Alan Lee's illustrated edition of The Lord of the Rings first appeared. It proved so popular when it first appeared, that according to the documentary J.R.R. Tolkien: A Video Portrait , it sold out within minutes of hitting the bookshelves. Often called 'the centenary edition' (due mostly to when it came out, though there are other Tolkien books that feature the centenary emblem published around this time, so 'centenary edition' isn't limited to The Lord of the Rings in this sense) it has been a favourite among Tolkien fans since it first appeared. Also, to movie-goers, many of his illustrations may look familiar; as he was a conceptual artist (along with John Howe) for the Peter Jackson films. The original edition is an over-sized hardback, featuring a total of 50 illustrations. Since 1991, it has been published a few times in various formats. All editions illustrated by Lee contain the same im...

Another quick Tolkien post! The details for the 2022 Calendar have been revealed. The official Tolkien calendar, this year containing twelve stunning paintings inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s THE SILMARILLION. Featuring breathtaking artwork by Ted Nasmith, with new and lesser known pieces unique to this calendar. The official Tolkien calendar has become an established publishing event, eagerly anticipated by Tolkien fans the world over. Previous Tolkien calendars have become much sought after collector’s items, and this year’s will doubtless be an essential purchase for Middle-earth fans everywhere. Featuring 12 full-colour paintings of scenes from The Silmarillion, some of which are new and unique to this calendar, Ted Nasmith explores Tolkien’s creation with greater depth than ever before. Ranging from the Elder Days of Middle-earth, through the Second Age and the rise of Sauron, to the end of the War of the Ring, the reader is drawn even further into the fantastical world ...