| | [[Image:Jrrt 1972 pipe.jpg|right|thumb|J. R. R. Tolkien in 1972, in his study at Merton Street.]] | | [[Image:Jrrt 1972 pipe.jpg|right|thumb|J. R. R. Tolkien in 1972, in his study at Merton Street.]] |
| − | '''John Ronald Reuel Tolkien''' (3 January 1892 [[Bloemfontein]], [[Orange Free State]] – 2 September 1973) was an English writer, [[philology|philologist]] and university professor, best known as the author of several influential [[fantasy]] books such as ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. | + | '''John Ronald Reuel Tolkien''' (3 January 1892 Bloemfontein, [[Orange Free State]] – 2 September 1973) was an English writer, [[philology|philologist]] and university professor, best known as the author of several influential [[fantasy]] books such as ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. He also worked on translating the [[Bible]], particularly the [[Book of Jonah]] for the [[Jerusalem Bible]]. |
| | He had a lifelong interest in and love of language, and also created [[Tolkien's languages|several constructed languages]]. Tolkien also created the [[Middle-earth]] legendarium, a fantasy world with a detailed geography, history, and inhabited by Men, [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elves]], [[Dwarves (Middle-earth)|Dwarves]], and [[Hobbit]]s.<ref>''The Hobbit'', first published by George Allen & Unwin Ltd. of London, on 21 September 1937. </ref> | | He had a lifelong interest in and love of language, and also created [[Tolkien's languages|several constructed languages]]. Tolkien also created the [[Middle-earth]] legendarium, a fantasy world with a detailed geography, history, and inhabited by Men, [[Elf (Middle-earth)|Elves]], [[Dwarves (Middle-earth)|Dwarves]], and [[Hobbit]]s.<ref>''The Hobbit'', first published by George Allen & Unwin Ltd. of London, on 21 September 1937. </ref> |