The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Volume 1: Chronology. Christina Scull

Tolkien attends an English Faculty Board meeting. He is elected to the Standing Committee on the Library, and is appointed (as convenor) to a committee ‘to consider and report on the whole question of the First Public Examination as affecting the English scheme’ (Oxford University Archives FA 4/5/1/1), together with *Helen Darbishire, C.S. Lewis, M.R. Ridley, and David Nichol Smith. The Applications Committee has appointed Tolkien the supervisor of advanced student K.R. Brooks of Merton College, who is preparing an edition of the Old English poem Andreas. – Tolkien writes to Stanley Unwin, suggesting dates in November for their next meeting. If 10 November, he would prefer the afternoon, for tea rather than lunch, so as not to miss a meeting in Oxford in the morning. 12 or 15 November would be free all day. He has seen C.S. Lewis, whose contract for Out of the Silent Planet obliges him to submit it first to the publisher J.M. Dent. – Tolkien writes again to Unwin, after receiving his letter of 28 October which suggests a meeting on Wednesday, 17 November. Tolkien can meet him on that date but ‘unless urgent matters intervene I work with Mr. Lewis each W[ednesday] morning and dine in College (my only night in the week). Mondays and Saturdays are my only days left empty (supposedly dedicated to my own study)’ (Tolkien– George Allen & Unwin archive, HarperCollins). He asks if he should borrow a copy of Out of the Silent Planet for Unwin to read, so that he would already have an opinion should Dent refuse to publish it. – J.N.L. Myres, a History scholar of Christ Church, Oxford writes to Tolkien regarding a bone object with a runic inscription found in an Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Caister-by-Norwich. The inscription is legible, but other authorities can make no sense of it.

      30 October 1937 Stanley Unwin writes to Tolkien, apparently having received only his first letter of 29 October. He suggests meeting on 10, 12, or 15 November.

      31 October 1937 Tolkien writes to Stanley Unwin, leaving it to him to choose between 15 or 17 November for their meeting.

      1 November 1937 Stanley Unwin writes to Tolkien, setting their meeting for Monday, 15 November. He would like to see Out of the Silent Planet if there is a spare typescript Tolkien can provide.

      3 November 1937 Tolkien attends a Pembroke College meeting.

      5 November 1937 Tolkien writes to Stanley Unwin. He has received proofs of his photographs from Elliott & Fry. Edith has chosen one for them to send to Unwin. – F.E. Harmer, Lecturer in English at the University of Manchester, writes to Tolkien, asking if he can cite an instance of the use of (ge-)frith as an adjective in Middle English or Old English. She has sent The Hobbit to her nephews.

      10 November 1937 Tolkien probably attends a meeting in Oxford this morning. – Stanley Unwin writes to Tolkien in reply to his comments about Elliott & Fry. He sends him a complimentary ticket for the Sunday Times Book Fair.

      15 November 1937 Tolkien meets Stanley Unwin in London. He hands over for consideration the Lay of Leithian (recorded by Unwin as ‘Long Poem’), the Quenta Silmarillion, the Ainulindalë, the Ambarkanta, and The Fall of Númenor (which Unwin calls collectively ‘The Gnomes Material’), The Lost Road, and again, Farmer Giles of Ham and Mr. Bliss (George Allen & Unwin archive, University of Reading). They discuss the revised edition of the Clark Hall Beowulf, and Unwin explains exactly what is wanted. Tolkien shows him some of Elaine Griffiths’ work, with heavy corrections to the text. Later in the day Tolkien visits the Sunday Times Book Fair at Dorland Hall in southwest London, and will wish that he could have stayed there longer: ‘Russian books, book-cases, American juveniles, all sorts of things. As a mere author I could not escape the feeling that there are already too many (let alone the dead whose works yet live)’ (letter to Stanley Unwin, 17 November 1937, Tolkien– George Allen & Unwin archive, HarperCollins). – After this meeting Tolkien will tell Elaine Griffiths what the publisher wants regarding the Clark Hall volume.

      15 November–19 December 1937 Tolkien continues to work on the Quenta Silmarillion while the fair copy manuscript is with Allen & Unwin, and probably also in the brief time between its return from the publisher and the start of composition of The Lord of the Rings. In two less carefully written and slightly overlapping manuscripts, he extends the story of the Quenta Silmarillion from the point at which Beren cuts a Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown, to the flight of Túrin from Thingol’s court. As he writes, Tolkien decides to change certain names; on 20 November he makes a note to remind himself to make these alterations in the fair copy manuscript when it returns.

      16 November 1937 Since Allen & Unwin have already looked at Farmer Giles of Ham, Stanley Unwin returns the typescript to Tolkien. He comments that ‘if there were sufficient material of a like character to put with it, it would make a most excellent book’ (Tolkien–George Allen & Unwin archive, HarperCollins). – C.V. Salmon of the BBC writes to Tolkien. He would like to discuss the possibility of a broadcast programme on Beowulf, with a reading in the original Old English.

      17 November 1937 Tolkien writes to Stanley Unwin. He sends a letter from a Mlle Tardivel asking about a possible French translation of The Hobbit. He has sent her an interim reply that he would pass the proposal to Allen & Unwin. He mentions that Simonne d’Ardenne has translated Farmer Giles of Ham into French and might be considered as a translator of The Hobbit. – Tolkien replies to C.V. Salmon. He would be pleased to discuss a Beowulf broadcast. If Salmon can come to Oxford, he can see him almost any day if he is not lecturing; but if they are to meet in London Mondays (especially) and Wednesdays are the most convenient for Tolkien.

      c. 20 November 1937 E.V. Gordon writes to Tolkien. Like Tolkien, Kenneth Sisam also thinks that Gordon’s edition of Pearl needs cutting. Gordon will write to Sisam that as it is much easier to cut someone else’s work than to reduce one’s own, he hopes that Tolkien will be willing to prune Pearl.

      20 November 1937 Stanley Unwin writes to Tolkien. Allen & Unwin are trying to arrange German, Scandinavian, and other rights for translations of The Hobbit. He will write to both Simonne d’Ardenne and Mlle Tardivel.

      23 November 1937 C.V. Salmon of the BBC writes to Tolkien. He asks if Tolkien can see him in Oxford on Monday, 29 November. – Tolkien is appointed a governor of King Edward’s School, Birmingham, as the representative of Oxford University on the governing body. He will be reappointed in 1940 to act until 1947, but will resign on 1 January 1941. Although the governors meet once a month, Tolkien will attend only four meetings during his term of office.