This combination of text and illustration is a likely contributor to the Letters’ complicated publishing history. The art of The Father Christmas Letters proves to be the most engaging element of the books, including meticulous hand drawn stamps and envelope decorations, spidery handwriting in Tolkien’s favorite black and red mix (nearly illegible in some cases), and above all the host of water color illustrations that surely captivated the imagination and speculation of Ronald and Edith’s young family, even as they continue to do for us (especially for any who have had a chance to see some of the originals under glass at recent exhibitions in Oxford, New York, or Paris). The Great Polar Bear defends the realm Beorn style The letters began with a simple note of less than 100 words to his firstborn, accompanied by an iconic Father Christmas “self-portrait” and picture of his house.

But as with most of his projects, the tale grew in the telling. Tolkien likely began these letters as a whimsical family flourish, designed to make Christmastime a bit more magical for his children. Letters from Father Christmas, Deluxe Slipcase Edition, published by Harper Collins in October 2019 at an appropriately deluxe price point.

Also included is a personal note from the Professor himself, reproduced for the first time. It also includes an introduction from the book’s editor and Tolkien’s daughter-in-law, Baillie Tolkien, who married Christopher in 1967. This latest (and more affordable) edition, like the slipcase “Deluxe Edition” published in 2019 by Harper Collins, contains transcriptions and facsimile pictures of the entire collection of “F.C.” letters, along with their assorted envelopes and stamps so characteristic of Tolkien’s meticulous attention to detail.

These letters would continue over the next 23 years, welcoming Michael, Christopher, and Priscilla into the society of Father Christmas, the Great (Polar) Bear and his two sidekick nephews, Paksu and Valkotukka, and an elvish secretary, as they cope with everything from goblins to general clumsiness. This is the first three-digit milestone for the Tolkien corpus: as a “Centenary Edition”, the publication date marks the 100 th anniversary of the first letter from Father Christmas reaching three-year old John Frances Reuel Tolkien in December 1920. Hitting the American market in late October, this oversized hardback beauty boasts 208 pages of colorful Christmas chronicles first designed to enchant Tolkien’s growing family with seasonal tales from the North Pole. Released in time for the 2020 holiday season, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has followed the path of its British cousin Harper Collins in publishing a striking new edition of the Letters from Father Christmas. The October 2020 edition from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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