Abstract
"Then Daddy began a story, and this is what he said." That's how J.R.R. Tolkien began the first manuscript version of "Farmer Giles of Ham," one of a few moments of fatherly storytelling to be found in his fiction. Tolkien is remembered today as a great author and artist, but in his home he was a loving parent who regaled his children with tales — a "story-telling presence," as his daughter Priscilla Tolkien put. In this presentation, I reflect on Tolkien as a "daddy" and oral storyteller, drawing on examples from Tolkien's life and writing. I also consider what storytelling looks like in our own homes by sharing memories from my own family's experiences.
Recommended Citation
Renaud, Josh
(2026)
""Then Daddy began a story": Storytelling in Tolkien’s home and our own,"
Journal of Tolkien Research: Vol. 24:
Iss.
2, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol24/iss2/5
Included in
Children's and Young Adult Literature Commons, Literature in English, British Isles Commons, Performance Studies Commons
Comments
Presented at Westmoot 2026 (Minneapolis, MN) on May 23, 2026.