We are thrilled to announce the imminent release of “‘Uncle Curro’. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Spanish Connection” by José Manuel Ferrandez-Bru, featuring insights from Priscilla Tolkien and a preface from John Garth.
The book will be released on Tuesday the 5th of June 2018, both in English and Spanish (El Tío “Curro”. La Conexión Española de J.R.R. Tolkien) by Luna Press Publishing, with a subsequent Italian edition in the Autumn, by Edizioni Terra Santa. It will be available in both paperback and digital formats.
The pre-order discount is only available through the Luna Press Website, and don’t forget that you can have the book delivered to The Tolkien Society Seminar in Leeds, on the 1st of July 2018 (order by the 5th of June), or the Tolkien Society’s Oxonmoot in Oxford, 20-23rd of September (order by the 20th of August).
Both José and the cover artist Fernando López Ayelo will be at Oxonmoot, the annual event organised by The Tolkien Society, this coming September, so if you go you can also get your copy signed!
“’Uncle Curro’. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Spanish Connection” revolves around Francis Morgan, Tolkien’s “second father”. This book has been extremely well received in its first Spanish edition, not only by the Tolkien readership of literary criticism, but also by those with a keen interest in historical ties – books such as these can only increase the understanding of beloved authors such as JRR Tolkien.
We asked José to describe his work and why he decided to investigate the figure of Francis Morgan:
“The book is a biography, but not only a biography. It reconstructs the almost unknown life of Francis Morgan (1857-1935), a Catholic priest of Anglo-Spanish origin, who was involved in the sherry trade, and was guardian and “second father” of author J.R.R. Tolkien.
J.R.R. Tolkien is one of the most famous contemporary authors. His works, especially The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, are among the most read of our time, with legions of fans. In addition, Tolkien, a prestigious professor of the University of Oxford, attracts many scholars who try to analyse his works and his biography as keys to determinate his cultural heritage, and to find his sources and inspirations. However, there is one aspect of his biography that has been barely investigated so far: his early years and the lasting relationship of Tolkien (who was orphaned as a child) with his guardian, Father Francis Morgan.
The book is not merely a biography of Tolkien’s guardian; the data collected about Tolkien’s personal relationship with Morgan, as well as a comparative review of his work with that of the illustrious ancestors of his guardian in Hispanic literature, reveal curious parallels that give rise to hypotheses about the influence (yet unknown) of them on Tolkien.
It is also curious that Morgan was the intermediary between Tolkien and the famous Cardinal John Henry Newman (of whom he was assistant); also with people who were directly related to his family, like Washington Irving, Humboldt, Campe or Blanco White, who all didn’t appear to have any other contact outside of this with Tolkien.
Finally, it should be noted that the present work is the result of thorough research between Spain and England which involved, among others, Tolkien’s own family, who have provided their support, along with the testimony (including previously unpublished writings), of Priscilla Tolkien, the author’s daughter.”
Don’t forget to pre-order this title, either in English or Spanish, directly from the Luna website, to receive your pre-order discount.
Happy reading!
