The J. R. R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: Volume 1: Chronology. Christina Scull
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afternoons or evenings are best for him to receive visitors. He sends Allen & Unwin the original of Thror’s Map, hoping that they can print the runes on the back as intended. He has drawn a copy of the runes in mirror-reverse, so that if viewed through the sheet when held up to the light, they will read the right way around. He returns proofs of the earlier illustrations he has been sent and notes defects in the reproductions of Mirkwood and Wilderland. Elaine Griffiths has been appointed to a position in the Society of Oxford Home-Students from next term, but Tolkien hopes that they will both finish their work on the Clark Hall Beowulf before the present term ends.
1 February 1937 Susan Dagnall writes to Tolkien, to correct a misstatement in her letter of 23 January. Thror’s Map will have to be printed as an endpaper in The Hobbit after all for reasons of cost, but the runes will be printed so that they do not appear ‘so blatantly on the front’ (Tolkien–George Allen & Unwin archive, HarperCollins). The defects Tolkien noted on the proofs of Mirkwood and Wilderland will be corrected. Dagnall sends rough proofs of the four drawings to be included in the book from the second group; Allen & Unwin still hope to squeeze in the remaining two at the ends of chapters.
2 February 1937 R.W. Chambers writes to Tolkien, urging him not to delete a single word from Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics when it is prepared for publication.
4 February 1937 Tolkien’s poem The Dragon’s Visit, one of the ‘Tales and Songs of Bimble Bay’, written probably c. 1928, is published in the Oxford Magazine for 4 February 1937.
5 February 1937 Tolkien attends an English Faculty Board meeting. The minutes will record:
A Standing Order was made that no application for admission as a Probationer B.Litt. Student or Advanced Student should be considered by the Applications Committee unless the applicant had previously been in communication with a person or persons appointed by the Board to interview such candidates. The Board appointed Professor Nichol Smith and Professor Tolkien for this purpose. [Oxford University Archives FA 4/5/1/1]
– Tolkien writes to Susan Dagnall, confirming their appointment for 13 February. In regard to Thror’s Map, he relents: ‘Let the Production Dept. do as it will’. He approves the rough proofs of the four drawings, but marks two defects in the block for The Trolls. He comments that he should not have put in a wash shadow by the door in The Hall at Bag-End, which in the line-block has come out black, obscuring detail. He would have written sooner, but has had ‘three desperately crowded days’ (Tolkien–George Allen & Unwin archive, HarperCollins).
8 February 1937 Tolkien writes to R.W. Chambers. He sends information about A.L. Rowse which Chambers had requested, and tells him about the forthcoming publication of The Hobbit.
13 February 1937 Susan Dagnall visits Tolkien in Oxford at 3.00 p.m. See note.
18 February 1937 A revised version of Tolkien’s poem Knocking at the Door: Lines Induced by Sensations when Waiting for an Answer at the Door of an Exalted Academic Person (first composed in 1927) is published in the Oxford Magazine for 18 February 1937 as by ‘Oxymore’.
19 February 1937 Tolkien attends a Pembroke College meeting.
20 February 1937 Tolkien attends a Pembroke College meeting. – He receives from Allen & Unwin proofs of signatures A–H of The Hobbit.
21 February 1937 Tolkien writes to Allen & Unwin. He has corrected the first proofs of The Hobbit but would like to keep them until he has the complete set, since he has noticed some minor discrepancies in the text, and between the text and the illustrations, though few printers’ errors. He wishes to learn when the rest of the proofs will arrive, and notes that he will deal with them quickly as he can correct a batch of about eight signatures within twenty-four hours of receipt. He notes that the defects he had pointed out in The Trolls still appear in proof, and supposes that it has not been possible to correct them.
24 February 1937 C.A. Furth writes to Tolkien. The fine lines in The Trolls have broken when reduced, but there is no room to enlarge the illustration. They plan to meet on Saturday, 27 February, and can discuss the point further at that time. – Tolkien receives the rest of the Hobbit proofs. He is asked to replace unavoidable alterations and deletions with words taking up as nearly as possible the same amount of space. With these, or soon afterward, he is sent rough proofs of the remaining two drawings, which are to be included in The Hobbit.
27 February 1937 C.A. Furth visits Tolkien in Oxford. Tolkien will remark in his letter of ?10 March that he was a poor host, too concerned with his own troubles. Probably at this meeting Furth asks Tolkien to produce a design for the dust-jacket of The Hobbit.
March 1937 In the preface to his edition of The Battle of Maldon (1937) E.V. Gordon thanks Tolkien for reading proof and making ‘many corrections and contributions…. Professor Tolkien, with characteristic generosity, gave me the solution to many of the textual and philological problems discussed in the following pages’ (p. vi).
2 March 1937 The typescripts of Farmer Giles of Ham and Roverandom are returned to Tolkien by Allen & Unwin.
4 March 1937 Tolkien attends an English Faculty Library Committee meeting. – A revised version of Tolkien’s poem Iumonna Gold Galdre Bewunden (first composed perhaps at the end of 1922) is published in the Oxford Magazine for 4 March 1937.
?10 March 1937 Tolkien returns to Allen & Unwin corrected proofs of The Hobbit with the two additional illustrations in position, as well as marked proofs of the two endpapers and the original drawing of Thror’s Map. He suggests that the endpapers would be best printed in black and red. In a letter to C.A. Furth he apologizes for sending them a week later than expected, but other matters suddenly became urgent, and also for the many alterations he has made. He realizes that he should have re-read The Hobbit before it went for typesetting. While proofreading he found considerable confusions of narrative and geography. He has had to alter about sixteen pages considerably, though he has tried as far as possible to ensure that the revisions occupy the same space as the text that was set. He thinks it advisable to see revised proofs of the most heavily altered sections. He asks if Allen & Unwin have decided when The Hobbit will be published; if at an early date, he will try to produce a dust-jacket design at once.
12 March 1937 Tolkien chairs a meeting of the English Faculty Board. C.S. Lewis asks that four representatives of the Board meet the joint committee of the English and Classical Associations to consider Greek and English studies. He, Tolkien, M.R. Ridley, and possibly C.T. Onions are willing to do so.
13 March 1937 Hilary Full Term ends.
23 March 1937 C.A. Furth writes to Tolkien, confirming that he certainly will be sent proofs of the most heavily corrected sections of The Hobbit, though the printers might prefer to reset the entire book. Tolkien’s corrections may exceed an author’s usual allowance. It is unfortunate that Allen & Unwin had not realized that the typescript ‘which Miss Dagnall persuaded you to send us was never really intended for printing without further revision’ (Tolkien–George Allen & Unwin archive, HarperCollins). The same colours must be used on both endpapers (Tolkien would prefer Wilderland to appear in black and blue); he agrees with Tolkien that black and red would be best. The runes, indistinct in the proof (in a failed attempt to suggest ‘moonletters’), will be replaced with the more carefully drawn version Tolkien has returned to them, and will be printed in black rather than red and without a halftone effect. The book will be published when it is ready. Allen & Unwin hope that Tolkien will be able to design a dust-jacket for The Hobbit, but this is not urgent as he still has to see revised proofs.
30 March 1937 Tolkien writes to C.A. Furth. He hopes that revised proofs of The Hobbit will come to him during vacation, which ends on 24 April.