Letter 13

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
← Letter 13 →
Recipient	C. A. Furth, Allen & Unwin
Date	13 May 1937
Subject(s)	The Hobbit

Letter 13 is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Background

C. A. Furth of Allen & Unwin informed Tolkien that "one of the outstanding firms of American publishers" (Houghton Mifflin) had expressed an interest for The Hobbit and suggested hiring "good American artists" to supply further colour illustrations, but Allen & Unwin would prefer they were done by Tolkien himself.

Summary

Tolkien asked the name of the American publishers and enquired about financial arrangements. Regarding the additional illustrations he agreed he ought to draw them, feeling professional pictures would look out of place next to his own "amateurish productions". However since it was the middle of term this will take some time, and he instructed Allen & Unwin to allow the American firm to produce their own illustrations rather than lose their interest through delay, with the proviso that it must be possible to "veto anything from or influenced by the Disney studios (for all whose works I have a heartfelt loathing)".