A rare Lord of the Rings book signed in Elvish by author J.R.R. Tolkien has sold for twice its estimate at auction.
The legendary writer personally inscribed the edition of The Return of the King using his own Tengwar script – the runic-style language he invented for his fantasy world.
The inscription translates simply as John R R Tolkien.
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Tolkien created the elaborate Elvish writing system for his beloved Middle-earth saga, which went on to inspire generations of fans.
The book was originally gifted to one of three Oxford University students who befriended Tolkien in the 1950s.
Alan Egerton Parker, then an undergraduate at University College Oxford in 1957, read The Lord of the Rings trilogy and decided – along with two pals – to track down the retired author, who was living nearby.
Tolkien welcomed the students into his home, invited them for tea, and the group went on to enjoy a series of friendly meetings, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Before the students graduated, Tolkien presented each of them with a personally signed set of The Lord of the Rings as a farewell gift.
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Ahead of the sale, expert Max Hasler said: “It is exceptionally unusual for Tolkien to have signed his works not only in English, but in the very language he created for his fantasy world – Elvish.”
The book went under the hammer at Forum Auctions in Battersea, south-east London, on 25 September.
Expected to fetch around £10,000, the rare copy instead sold for a staggering £24,000.
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