Tolkien's Literary Executor

[Lalwendë]

Ever wondered what was in Tolkien's will about his work? This is from another member of the Tolkien Society:

’Upon Trust to allow my son Christopher full access to the same* in order that he may act as my Literary Executor with full power to publish edit alter rewrite or complete any work of mine which may be unpublished at my death or to destroy the whole or any part or parts of any such unpublished works as he in his absolute discretion may think fit and subject thereto’

*unpublished works

So Christopher has full powers over all his father's unpublished works. I'd happen to trust him not to do terrible rewrites or edits, but it makes you wonder what else is unpublished, and will it always remain that way?

[narfforc]

Bizzarely you can buy a copy of Tolkiens will on Ebay. I have thought about it, but somehow it feels wrong to buy such a thing. Anyway Christopher isn't getting any younger, I wonder who the flame will be passed to next, and will they be more accessable.

[Lalwendë]

I don't know. I'd be interested to read it myself. A will is after all just a legal document. With many other writers, we have just about everything, including private diaries, to read, so we actually don't have that much to read that was personal of Tolkien's. I don't really think his diaries would be much help to us anyway, as they'd just give us more to argue about, knowing how contradictory diaries can be when we're just writing about our feelings on any given day!

[Eonwe]

Originally Posted by Lal

it makes you wonder what else is unpublished, and will it always remain that way?

Or destroyed!

I certainly hope not!

[narfforc]

That is a good point, I wonder if Christopher is in possesion of his fathers diaries, if any existed, I am sure they are mentioned somewhere, it would have been normal for one of his generation and position to keep some form of diary. I wonder if that is what Tolkien alludes to in the matter of destroying anything. Was there not mention of a second Letters book?, there must have been thousands, I have often wondered to what extent Christopher purged that book of any dubious statement by his father, in much the same way that holy men did at The Council of Nicea, when deciding which books would fit the Judeo/Christian Myth best, therefore omitting the Book of Enoch and such like.

[Durelin]

It also makes you wonder if any of his other children felt rather cheated.

Family heirlooms can often undo families. I've heard that this was the case in the Tolkien family as well, but was it really?

Now there's another thought...will Christopher pass down the writings to one of his children (does he have children?)?

I wonder how many generations the Tolkien works can be passed down before they pass into myth...

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Durelin

It also makes you wonder if any of his other children felt rather cheated.

Family heirlooms can often undo families. I've heard that this was the case in the Tolkien family as well, but was it really?

Now there's another thought...will Christopher pass down the writings to one of his children (does he have children?)?

I wonder how many generations the Tolkien works can be passed down before they pass into myth...

Well there's a family trust so the profits will be distributed through that, and I can imagine they'd go equally. However when Christopher is gone i imagine the literary part of the will would then pass on to the Trust to decide once more who will hold the reigns.
But whoever gets 'control', I wonder if, being so far removed from truly knowing Tolkien and his mind (as only a son or daughter could) they would be? A lot of Christopher's hard work must have sprung from his intimate knowledge of his own father and what his mindset was?