An Unexpected Literary Discovery: The Handwritten Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien

How a nearly 60-year-old letter revealed a fascinating connection between the author of The Lord of the Rings and one of the 20th century's most celebrated poets.

One of the most exciting parts of the auction business is never quite knowing what you're going to find. Sometimes, an ordinary-looking object turns out to have an extraordinary story. And sometimes, that story takes a little detective work to uncover.

Recently, while researching items for an upcoming auction, our team at Wardlow Auctions came across a handwritten letter signed by none other than J.R.R. Tolkien, the celebrated author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

The letter was written on stationery from the Hotel Miramar in Bournemouth, England, and bore dates of January 14 and February 1, 1967. Tolkien was known to stay there often, with his wife, Edith. The letter's contents referenced a missed deadline, a literary contribution, and a gentleman whose name wasn't immediately clear.

Deciphering the Letter

Handwriting can be challenging enough, but add in Tolkien's distinctive penmanship, and suddenly you're a detective. Our first challenge was identifying the recipient.

The name initially appeared to be something like "Bookwright." But as we investigated the letter's references to a literary publication and a tribute to poet W.H. Auden, another name emerged: James Boatwright.

Boatwright was the editor of Shenandoah, a literary journal associated with Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.

Tolkien, Auden, and a Literary Tribute

W.H. Auden was one of the most influential poets of the 20th century, and he also happened to be an early and enthusiastic admirer of Tolkien's writing. The two writers developed a relationship rooted in their shared literary interests.

In 1967, Auden celebrated his 60th birthday. To commemorate the occasion, Shenandoah prepared a special issue featuring contributions honoring the poet.

Tolkien was among the writers invited to participate. In his correspondence to Boatwright, Tolkien discusses having missed a deadline for his contribution. At first glance, it might seem like a polite apology from a busy author who simply hadn't found the time to finish an assignment.

The Plot Thickens

As we continued researching the correspondence, we discovered that Tolkien did, in fact, contribute to the Auden tribute.

His piece was titled "For W.H.A."

It appeared in Shenandoah, Volume XVIII, Number 2, published in the winter of 1967, on pages 96–97.

The contribution was particularly fitting for Tolkien, who was not only a novelist but also a distinguished scholar of medieval literature and language. His tribute incorporated Old English verse alongside a modern English rendering. An especially interesting detail emerged in the publication history: Boatwright reportedly interpreted Tolkien's dedication, "for W.H.A.," as the title of the piece.

What began as a brief inscription became the name by which the poem is known. Suddenly, the letter in front of us was more than correspondence from a famous author. It was connected to the creation and publication of a specific literary work honoring another major figure in English literature.

A Letter with Its Own Place in Literary History

The dates on the letter are particularly important. Written in January and February 1967, the correspondence falls directly within the period surrounding Auden's 60th birthday and the preparation of the commemorative issue.

The letter offers a glimpse into the less glamorous side of literary history: deadlines, editors, correspondence, and the sometimes complicated process of getting a contribution into print. Even J.R.R. Tolkien had to explain himself to an editor.

Why Research Matters

At Wardlow Auctions, we handle everything from everyday household items to rare antiques, historical artifacts, and unusual collections. Research is an essential part of what we do, but occasionally it takes us down a particularly fascinating rabbit hole. This was one of those occasions.

A handwritten letter led us to a literary editor in Virginia, a birthday tribute to a celebrated poet, and a little-known Tolkien composition published nearly 60 years ago. Each discovery helped place the letter into a larger historical context.

Context from the Seller

Luckily, our seller was around to tell us how she came to own this letter. Reportedly, someone fished it out of the trash, gave it to her friend, who passed it along to her. One man's trash is another auctioneer's fun project nearly 60 years later.