Tolkien Archive: the starting point

The first time I read a story by J. R. R. Tolkien—The Hobbit—was during Christmas in 1996. Since then, my interest in the Oxford Professor has grown exponentially, and what began as a literary curiosity quickly turned into a wonderful journey of study, research, and publication.

Among my most recent works: Tolkien's Library: An Annotated Checklist (Luna Press), published in 2019 with a foreword by Tom Shippey, winner of the "Best Book" category at the Tolkien Society Awards 2020 and finalist for the 2021 Mythopoeic Awards (the first and only time, in both cases, for an Italian scholar). The book was updated in a second edition in 2023 with a new afterword by Verlyn Flieger.
Also notable is Guida completa al mondo di Tolkien (Vallardi, 2022), which features an introduction by John Howe and an afterword by Brian Sibley.

Alongside these literary achievements, I’ve also had the honor of organizing numerous public initiatives, most notably Tolkien. Man, Professor, Author—the major exhibition commissioned by the Italian Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sangiuliano, and curated by me in collaboration with the COR of Rome. The exhibition is supported by the University of Oxford and benefits from the scholarly contribution of two close friends and fellow researchers, Giuseppe Pezzini and Adriano Monti Buzzetti.

Launched in Rome (National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Nov. 2023 – Feb. 2024), the exhibition then traveled to Naples (Royal Palace, Mar. – Jul. 2024), Venaria Reale (The Venaria Reale, Oct. 2024 – Feb. 2025), Catania (Palazzo della Cultura, Mar. – Aug. 2025), and finally Trieste (Salone degli Incanti, Sept. 2025 – Jan. 2026).

Over the past three decades, numerous discoveries, insights, and in-depth studies—each of them extraordinarily fascinating—have emerged from my research in libraries, archives, and texts both in Italy and abroad. Of all that I have gathered, uncovered, and catalogued, only a small portion (around 20%) has so far been shared publicly through articles, books, and lectures. I now believe—and I am fully convinced—that the time has come to make this material accessible, within the limits of intellectual property, and to make it available to all Tolkien scholars (and not only them).

From this intent arises the idea of launching Tolkien Archive, the name I gave to an event held in Barletta on May 18–19, 2019, which featured the participation of Catherine McIlwaine, Tolkien Archivist at the Bodleian Libraries and curator of the landmark exhibition Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, hosted from June 1 to October 28, 2018, at the Weston Library, University of Oxford.

L’evento

“So many special memories and of course it was wonderful to meet so many Tolkien enthusiasts and to be able to share the Tolkien archive with them.” - Catherine McIlwaine

Con Catherine McIlwaine

The Tolkien Archive event was born from an idea and a desire to experiment with a new model of sharing within the field of Tolkien studies in Italy. In order to bring together vision and action, I knew I had to engage directly with the person officially tasked—on a daily basis—with studying and cataloguing the most important Tolkien archive in existence, now housed in Oxford: Catherine McIlwaine, the Tolkien Archivist of the Bodleian Libraries.

It is worth noting, in this regard, that while the Bodleian Libraries employ many archivists, only two are dedicated to specific thematic areas: Jeremy McIlwaine, who oversees materials related to the history of the British Conservative Party, and Catherine McIlwaine, who is responsible for the Tolkien archive—an endeavour fully supported by the Tolkien Estate.

The structure promoted through the Tolkien Archive was very simple: three study sessions over the course of two days, one keynote speaker, and a defined, selected group of scholars in attendance. Each session, spanning an entire morning or afternoon, opened with a presentation and discussion focused on a specific topic, followed by in-depth interaction between the speaker and the participating scholars.

Prima sessione: Laura Bartoli e Catherine McIlwiane

The first session, held on Saturday morning, was dedicated to understanding the Bodleian Libraries: their history; the historical and cultural context in which they developed and evolved; the city of Oxford and its University, including the collegiate system and their libraries. Catherine provided an overview of the Bodleian’s scale: from the vast number of volumes it holds—well into the tens of millions, as it is a legal deposit library entitled to receive a copy of every publication printed in the UK—to the staggering annual user statistics.

Another central topic of the session was the connection between Tolkien and the Bodleian, beginning with the earliest documented trace: the registration certificate, shown by Catherine, that records Tolkien’s enrollment at the library at the end of 1913, two years after his arrival in Oxford.

Other subjects explored included Tolkien’s academic life in Oxford; the Bodleian as a source of inspiration; the books he borrowed before, during, and after his On Fairy-stories lecture in March 1939; and the loan slip he used as a bookmark—recently rediscovered—left inside a copy of The Yellow Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, at the beginning of the tale The Dragon of the North. Catherine discussed that particular story, highlighting several parallels with The Lord of the Rings.

The session also covered Tolkien’s relationship with the Inklings (Lewis, Williams, Green, and others) and the Bodleian, and the reasons why Tolkien’s archive is now housed in Oxford, with references to the Tolkien Estate and the various access restrictions in place. For each of these topics, Catherine shared fascinating anecdotes and insightful connections with great depth and clarity.

Seconda sessione: Sergio Dimiccoli e Catherine McIlwiane

The second session, held on Saturday afternoon, focused on the important Tolkien collection preserved at the Bodleian Library—a wealth of letters, manuscripts, notes, photographs, annotations, drawings, watercolours, and books that once belonged to Tolkien. Catherine provided an in-depth overview of the materials stored in hundreds of archival boxes, covering Tolkien’s entire life, beginning with the donation made by his son Christopher after his father’s death.

She went on to describe the archive’s internal organization, arranged by periods and purposes, and presented examples of materials relating to Tolkien’s academic life and his Legendarium, his artistic work, and even documents that are still inaccessible to scholars. Catherine spoke about access to the archive, noting that the number of research requests nearly tripled in 2019, coinciding with the exhibition Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, and highlighted that the majority of requests came from scholars based in the United States.

She emphasized how much of the archive remains to be explored and studied, and how even she continues to learn of new discoveries. One such example was the extensive research conducted by Giovanni Costabile—present at the sessions—who, during a month-long study at the Bodleian on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, discovered a draft of The Council of Elrond on the reverse of one of the manuscript pages, providing clear evidence of how Tolkien’s literary and academic interests were closely intertwined.

Naturally, Catherine does not claim to be an all-encompassing Tolkien expert; she explained that her work relies on collaboration with scholars in specific fields, such as Carl Hostetter for linguistic material. The session then turned to the relationship with the Tolkien Estate and the efforts made to preserve and protect the archive.

Finally, Catherine touched on Tolkien-related documents housed in other archives around the world and her own research over the years, such as her investigation into the records of Allen & Unwin. While consulting the submissions ledger for October 1936—the month The Hobbit was accepted—she discovered that only 9% of the manuscripts received that month were accepted for publication.

Terza sessione: Giovanni C. Costabile e Catherine McIlwiane

The third and final session, held on Sunday morning, was entirely dedicated to the exhibition Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, which took place in Oxford from June to October 2019. Curated by Catherine herself, the session gave her the opportunity to share with the attendees various curiosities, anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes insights. She also spoke about the initial skepticism regarding the level of public interest in Tolkien—skepticism that was ultimately disproven by the exhibition’s overwhelming success. Catherine recounted the hard work and dedication that went into creating what remains the largest exhibition ever devoted to Tolkien.

Conferenze pubblica: Victor Rivera Magos, Fulvio Delle Donne,
Oronzo Cilli, Sergio Dimiccoli e Catherine McIlwaine

As scheduled, on Saturday evening Catherine took part in the public conference, presenting the work behind the volume Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, published by the Bodleian Library and later released in Italian translation by Mondadori in 2020. 

Torre libraria del Castello di Barletta: Emanuele Romallo,
Catherine e Jeremy McIlwaine e Sergio Dimiccoli

Catherine and Jeremy McIlwaine
in my 

 During the days in Barletta, Catherine asked me if I had a copy of a text she had never had the chance to see in person and which was missing from the Bodleian archive: Oxford Poetry 1915, containing Tolkien’s first published poem, "Goblin Feet." That book was in my personal library, and I had the privilege of watching Catherine leaf through it with words of admiration. I deliberately use the past tense because I felt it was right for the Tolkien archive to preserve it and make it available to other scholars. So, I donated it to Catherine so she could (re)take it to Oxford. Life had it that just a few weeks later, I managed to find and purchase another edition, which now resides in my library.

 

The Tolkien Archive and the Future

June 2018: Cilli e Costabile
Reading Room, Weston Library, Oxford

What will henceforth be known as the Tolkien Archive was created with a dual purpose: first, to make all my studies and research accessible to everyone; and second, to provide access to a unique library and documentary collection on the life and works of J. R. R. Tolkien, which is currently preserved in my personal collection—the only one of its kind in Italy today.

With Catherine, I reflected on the importance of making the collection accessible, exploring how to establish, even in Italy, a space that could house a heritage of around 7,000 volumes: rare academic works by Tolkien; translations of his books in over fifty languages (including every edition published in Italy, France, the UK, the US, and more); hundreds of books once owned, signed, and annotated by Tolkien’s friends, colleagues, and family members. Additionally, the collection includes letters and books that belonged to Tolkien himself, along with much other material. The sheer quantity and quality of the collection even amazed Catherine. The first steps have been taken with the cataloging of the books and documents, as well as defining the procedures for consultation and use.

Today, alongside the work of collecting and cataloging, I am also publishing a series of articles where I share my discoveries and research—important to emphasize—that are never final or complete.