| | [[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 [[England|English]] writer, 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 was a great influence on the late [[conservative]] political theorist [[Russell Kirk]].<ref>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Kirk</ref> | + | '''John Ronald Reuel Tolkien''' (3 January 1892 Bloemfontein, [[Orange Free State]] – 2 September 1973) was an [[England|English]] writer, philologist and university professor, best known as the author of several influential [[fantasy]] books such as ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. His books sales are estimated at 150 million, a tad less than his friend [[C.S. Lewis]]'s estimated book sales of 200 million. Tolkien also worked on translating the [[Bible]], particularly the [[Book of Jonah]] for the [[Jerusalem Bible]]. He was a great influence on the late [[conservative]] political theorist [[Russell Kirk]].<ref>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Kirk</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> In 2022, the Swedish computer gaming firm Embracer Group purchased the rights to Tolkien's works, after it had already acquired the rights to make board and card games based on ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[Lord of the Rings]]''.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/18/swedish-gaming-giant-buys-lord-of-rings-and-hobbit-rights#:~:text=The%20company%20that%20owns%20the,as%20Gandalf%2C%20Aragorn%20and%20Gollum.</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> In 2022, the Swedish computer gaming firm Embracer Group purchased the rights to Tolkien's works, after it had already acquired the rights to make board and card games based on ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[Lord of the Rings]]''.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/aug/18/swedish-gaming-giant-buys-lord-of-rings-and-hobbit-rights#:~:text=The%20company%20that%20owns%20the,as%20Gandalf%2C%20Aragorn%20and%20Gollum.</ref> |