Niggle is the central fictional character in Tolkien’s story Leaf by Niggle.
First published in 1945, Leaf by Niggle follows an artist named Niggle who continually postpones practical tasks because he is trying to paint an enormous tree. The story explores artistic ambition, duty, mortality, and the relationship between a small individual work and a larger completed vision.
Niggle is often read as partly autobiographical, although the story is not a straightforward account of Tolkien’s life. The character’s difficulty finishing his work resonates with Tolkien’s long development of Middle-earth and with his belief that creative work can exceed its maker’s immediate intentions.
Leaf by Niggle was later published with On Fairy-Stories in Tree and Leaf. Its title character is not a hobbit, elf, or wizard, and the story is separate from the narratives of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.