J.R.R. Tolkien delivered his influential lecture On Fairy-Stories in 1939.
The lecture was given as the Andrew Lang Lecture at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Tolkien used it to examine what fairy stories are, why people value them, and what kinds of effects they can have on readers. The essay later became a major statement of his ideas about fantasy.
Tolkien argued that fairy stories are not merely childish entertainment. He discussed concepts including recovery, escape, and consolation, and he defended the importance of imaginative literature. His discussion of “eucatastrophe,” a sudden joyful turn in a story, is particularly influential.
The lecture was later revised and published in essay form. Readers sometimes associate the work only with The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, but it is also a significant piece of Tolkien’s literary criticism and an explanation of the principles behind his creative work.