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.

WAYNE G. HAMMOND is the Chapin Librarian emeritus at Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, and the author of standard bibliographies of J.R.R. Tolkien and Arthur Ransome.

CHRISTINA SCULL is the former Librarian of Sir John Soane's Museum, London, and editor of The Tolkien Collector. With Wayne Hammond, they have written multiple Tolkien works, including J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator, The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, the three-volume J.R.R. Tolkien Companion & Guide, and produced editions of Farmer Giles of Ham and The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien.