Poet Michael Tolkien, the eldest grandson of the The Hobbit author, will write two novels based on stories his grandfather read to him as a child. Gerald Dickens, the great-great grandson of Charles, will narrate the audiobook versions. Both works are due to be released later this year. Publisher Thames River Press said the first book, Wish, was inspired by Florence Bone’s 1923 story, The Rose-Coloured Wish. It tells the story of two children who set out to use an evil enchanter’s wishing chain of stones to save their alpine valley, only to fall into trouble.
Read more about the books in the BBC article and more about Michael Tolkien at www.MichaelTolkien.com.
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Our friends at Houghton Mifflin alerted us that they will be publishing the U.S. books from The Hobbit films. The entire press release follows:
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to be U.S. Publisher of Official Tie-ins to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again Films
New York – April 13, 2012 – Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has acquired U.S. publishing rights from HarperCollins UK, through a licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, for tie-in books to the two highly anticipated films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again, directed by Peter Jackson and productions of New Line Cinema and MGM.
“Inspired by the two films based on The Hobbit, the companion books are a fantastic way for fans of the world of Middle-earth to immerse themselves in the film experience,” said Karen McTier, Executive Vice President of Domestic Licensing and Worldwide Marketing for Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has a strong history with the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and we know that the detailed tie-in books will bring The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again to life in an in-depth and imaginative way.” Continue reading “Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to publish U.S. ‘Hobbit’ tie-in books”
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London, 13 April 2012: HarperCollinsPublishers has acquired exclusive worldwide publishing rights from Warner Bros. Consumer Products for tie-in books to the two highly anticipated films The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again, directed by Peter Jackson and productions of New Line Cinema and MGM.
“Inspired by the two films based on The Hobbit, the HarperCollins companion books are a fantastic way for fans of the world of Middle-earth to immerse themselves in the film experience,” said Karen McTier, Executive Vice President of Domestic Licensing and Worldwide Marketing for Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “HarperCollins has a strong history with the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and we know that the detailed tie-in books will bring The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again to life in an in-depth and imaginative way.”
Continue reading “HarperCollinsPublishers to Publish Official Tie-ins to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again Films”
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This month, J.W. Braun expands his bookshelf segment to include a giveaway, as well as a new written feature where he answers your questions. For this month, Braun reviews “The Magical Worlds of The Lord of the Rings: The Amazing Myths, Legends, and Facts Behind the Masterpiece” by David Colbert and gives away a Sean Astin audiobook. The new mailbag feature can be found below.
Continue reading “J.W. Braun’s Bookshelf – April”
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A friendly spy let us know some exciting news! As seen on a book supplier’s ordering site – listings for a pair of Hobbit movie themed books by Weta Workshop!
The first, titled “The Hobbit Chronicles: An Unexpected Journey”, is a hardcover expected to retail at $39.99(USD). It’s listed as coming out on November 6th, 2012. Presumably this will be some kind of “making of/behind the scenes” book for the first film.
The second book has a publication date of October 15th, 2013 – a long time to wait for this one! Titled “The Hobbit Location Guide: Where the Journey Begins”, it is a trade paperback with an anticipated price of 14.99(USD). It seems likely that Ian Brodie, author of the “Lord of the Rings Location Guidebook”, would be involved with this one. This will come in handy if you’re planning a pilgrimage to Middle-earth, aka New Zealand!
Neither appears to be available for the public to pre-order just yet; but as we make our way through this year of ‘Hobbit Eve’, the good stuff just keeps coming and the anticipation just keeps building!
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Join TheOneRing and the Tolkien Society, who started the event, by celebrating Tolkien Reading Day! Held annually since 2003, it is meant to encourage reading and is a great day to dust off a copy of one of J.R.R. Tolkien’s many works and dig in. (It also marks the downfall of Barad-dûr and the passing of Sauron, but that happened long before 2003.) Many schools mark the day with an in-class read, but since this year it falls on a Sunday, parents will be in charge of helping children celebrate but reading to pets, the infirm or yourself is also more than acceptable. Enjoy!
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