Letter 162a

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Letter 162a
Recipient	Rayner Unwin
Date	26 May 1955
Subject(s)	Appendices in The Return of the King

Letter 162a is a letter written by J.R.R. Tolkien and published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded edition.

Summary

Tolkien addresses Rayner Unwin with an apology for the delays caused by the completion of the Appendices for The Return of the King. He expresses some lingering dissatisfaction with the appendices despite Unwin's approval. Tolkien praises the printers for their accuracy, noting the rarity of word misprints and the diligence of the proofreader, who even corrected his errors in Númenórean chronology.

He mentions his confidence in avoiding significant delays in passing page-proofs but shares his concerns about upcoming travel dates. To manage expectations, Tolkien states that he plans to be away in both June and August, though he hopes the latter period will not affect the process. He hints at a secretive disappearance to avoid a collapse and offers to provide an address for sending proofs or other necessary communications related to The Lord of the Rings.