The Father Christmas Letters
The Father Christmas Letters collects the illustrated letters J. R. R. Tolkien wrote to his children as Father Christmas from 1920 to 1943, published by George Allen & Unwin in London on 2 September 1976. Edited by Baillie Tolkien, it was retitled Letters from Father Christmas in 1999.
- Editions tracked
- 1
- First edition
- George Allen & Unwin, 1976
- First published
- George Allen & Unwin, London, 1976
The first edition of The Father Christmas Letters by J. R. R. Tolkien was published by George Allen & Unwin in 1976. We track 1 edition.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st George Allen & Unwin1976 Hardback I own Die Briefe Vom Weihnachtsmann, George Allen & Unwin 1976 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
Read next
- Comes after
- Bilbo's Last Song
- Followed by
- The Silmarillion
In print
- Editions recorded
- 50 on Open Library, 32 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 22 languages
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
More by J. R. R. Tolkien
- A Middle English Vocabulary1922 · 1 edition
- Sir Gawain & the Green Knight1925 · 1 edition
- Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary1936 · 1 edition
- The Hobbit1937 · 3 editions
- The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun1945 · 1 edition
- Tolkien On Fairy-stories1947 · 2 editions
- Farmer Giles of Ham1949 · 1 edition
- The Fellowship of the Ring1954 · 1 edition
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How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained
Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of The Father Christmas Letters?
The first edition of The Father Christmas Letters by J. R. R. Tolkien was published by George Allen & Unwin in 1976.
How many editions of The Father Christmas Letters are there?
We track 1 edition of The Father Christmas Letters, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
What should I read after The Father Christmas Letters?
In order, it follows Bilbo's Last Song and it is followed by The Silmarillion, according to Wikidata.
Where these facts come from
- The Father Christmas Letters, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The Father Christmas Letters, SF and Fantasy first editions (sfandfantasy.co.uk) (sfandfantasy.co.uk)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 22 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.