Letter 144a

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Letter 144a
Recipient	P. H. Newby
Date	3 May 1954
Subject(s)	Recordings at the BBC

Letter 144a is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded edition.

Summary

In this letter to P. H. Newby of the BBC, Tolkien responds to a potential broadcast talk on eighteenth-century grammarians. He notes the contentious nature of the subject, referencing Bernard Shaw's observation that debates over grammar can provoke strong reactions, which he has even experienced directly in 'fan mail'. Tolkien shares his own perspective, expressing opposition to prescriptive grammatical rules and advocating for natural language usage. He admits, however, that he is not well-versed in modern grammatical studies and is too occupied to engage with the topic at present.

Tolkien also proposes the possibility of further broadcasts on alliterative poetry, citing the unexpected interest in his recent reading of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. He offers to send a recording of his dialogue on the The Battle of Maldon, suggesting it could be aired in August to coincide with the battle's anniversary.