Man behind the Mythology

[Child of the 7th Age]

Esty,

You must mean Joy Hill. She dealt with Tolkien's fan mail, and I think she was assigned to the job by the folk at Allen & Unwin. Sometimes she came down in person to Bournemouth.

I remember her name for another reason. When Hill was putting Tolkien's library in order, she found the poem Bilbo's Last Song written in an exercise book. It had apparently been "lost". In gratitude, Tolkien presented the poem to her, with its copyright, on 3 September 1970. In 1974, after Tolkien's death, both Houghton Mifflin and Allen & Unwin printed up a poster with this poem that was printed over a picture of a river scene. These were copyrighted under Hill's name and are technically "first editions". I have one of these posters hanging in my house because I love the poem. I also have the jigsaw puzzle of this same scene that came out two years later in the U.S. (I know.....I know....I'm hopelessly "addicted".)

Sorry for that digression. Now let's hope I have the right person!