J.R.R.Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over 80 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.

Christopher Tolkien, born on 24 November 1924, was the third son of J.R.R. Tolkien. As his father's literary executor, he devoted over forty years to the publication of his father's unpublished works, from The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales to Beren and Lúthien and The Fall of Gondolin, and within 'The History of Middle-earth' series, and was awarded the Bodley Medal for his services to literature in 2016. He died in January 2020 at the age of 95.

Alan Lee was invited to illustrate the centenary edition of The Lord of the Rings, which led to further Tolkien editions, including The Hobbit and the three 'Great Tales': The Children of Húrin, Beren and Lúthien and The Fall of Gondolin. He worked as Conceptual Designer and Set Decorator on both Middle-earth film trilogies, receiving the Academy Award for Best Art Direction for his work on The Return of the King.

John Howe was born in 1957 in Vancouver, Canada. After finishing High School, he moved to France in 1976, where he attended the Ecole des Arts Décoratifs in Strasbourg, gaining a Diploma in Illustration. Aside from illustrating jackets for numerous Tolkien and other fantasy works he has also illustrated many children's books. He lives in Switzerland with his wife and their son.

Ted Nasmith is a freelance illustrator living just outside Toronto, Canada, with his wife Donna and three children. The works of Tolkien have had a profound effect on him and he has enjoyed the challenge of interpreting the characters and world of Tolkien for over twenty years. He has produced several Tolkien Calendars and recently illustrated 'The Silmarillion'.