The Bodleian Library of OxfordRinger Forum Member Diedye points us to this intriguing news today from the UK:

A rare collection of books and artefacts will be open to the public for the first time after a £5million donation was made to the famous Bodleian Library at Oxford University.

Original manuscripts from Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein will be among a number of national treasures put on display in a new exhibition hall.

The donation by Julian Blackwell, president of the Blackwell’s academic bookshop chain, is the largest yet made to a university library in the UK.

Add that to your tour plans when visiting Oxford! [Read the Full Story] [Bodleian Library Homepage]

A rare first edition signed copy of JRR Tolkien’s classic novel The Hobbit estimated to be worth about $A65,000 will go under the hammer in London next month. Considered by some collectors to be the ultimate prize for Tolkien fans, the book was published in 1937 and features a range of black and white sketches by the world-famous author. Also up for grabs will be a copy of the first foreign language edition of The Hobbit, translated into Swedish in 1947, and the last known photograph ever taken of Tolkien. Auction house Bonhams estimates the much-sought after book could attract bids of between STG20,000 ($A43,802) and STG30,000 ($A65,703) from collectors around the world. Tolkien signed the book for his friend Elaine Griffiths, who had a hand in the author’s publishing success. Auction of The Hobbit first edition

Chocolate Fish Cafe to Close? Kristin Thompsonwrites: On “The Frodo Franchise” blog I’ve posted a story about how Joe Letteri was recently made a full partner in Weta Digital and what that implies about the stability of Peter Jackson’s filmmaking firms in Wellington. Basically the companies that grew so hugely as a result of The Lord of the Rings are still doing very well! New Kristin Thompson Blog

The Times Names 50 greatest postwar writers: Tolkien Comes in 6th The Lord of the Rings has remained popular since the 1960s, and became a hugely successful film trilogy. Tolkien’s themes of fellowship, sacrifice and the importance of the natural world are traceable to his experiences in the First World War, as well as to a love of folklore and of myth. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa and educated at King Edward 1V School, Birmingham, and Oxford. His mother, who inspired a love of fairytales and Roman Catholicism, died when he was 12. The Times Names 50 greatest postwar writers: Tolkien Comes in 6th

2007 has been quite an exciting year for Tolkien fans! There’s been an abundance of news and events from across the globe including openings of musicals, new book releases and new movies in the pipeline: something to satisfy just about any geeky preference! As a thank-you for following all the developments of the year with us, we thought we’d put together a retrospective of the top Tolkien stories of 2007 in one convenient list. The list below is in chronological order.

Here’s to a 2008 that’s just as exciting! Stay tuned! Continue reading “Top Tolkien Stories of 2007”