Letter 309a

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
Letter 309a
Recipient	Philip Neal
Date	11 January 1969
Subject(s)	Responding to a fan letter

Letter 309a 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 wrote a letter to Philip Neal, a seven-year-old fan who had won a Sunday Times competition for writing about his favorite book, The Hobbit. Tolkien expressed his gratitude and delight upon reading Philip's letter, acknowledging the boy's enjoyment of The Hobbit and his intention to keep the book.

Tolkien gifted Philip a copy of Smith of Wootton Major, noting that it was set in a different time and place than The Hobbit but hoped that Philip would enjoy it nonetheless. Tolkien also encouraged Philip's interest in writing, both in terms of handwriting and composition, and conveyed his wishes for Philip to continue developing his writing skills.