J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over 80 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide.
Alan Lee was invited to illustrate the centenary edition of The Lord of the Rings, which led to further Tolkien editions, including The Hobbit and the three 'Great Tales': The Children of Húrin, Beren and Lúthien and The Fall of Gondolin.
He worked as Conceptual Designer and Set Decorator on both Middle-earth film trilogies, receiving the Academy Award for Best Art Direction for his work on The Return of the King.
Brian Sibley is a noted writer and broadcaster best known in Tolkien circles for his work on the BBC's epic 1981 radio serialisation of The Lord of the Rings, as well as books about the maps of Middle-earth and the making of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies.
In 2022 he was the recipient of the Tolkien Society's 'Outstanding Contribution Award'.