What is the title of J.R.R. Tolkien’s essay about the value of fairy stories?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s essay about the value of fairy stories is titled On Fairy-Stories.

Tolkien originally presented the work as the Andrew Lang lecture at the University of St Andrews in 1938. He later revised it for publication, and it became one of his most influential statements about fantasy, myth, and the purpose of fairy tales. The essay argues that fairy stories are not merely children’s entertainment and can offer deep imaginative and moral experiences.

Among its best-known ideas is Tolkien’s discussion of “recovery,” “escape,” and “consolation.” He also describes the “eucatastrophe,” a sudden joyful turn in a story. The essay is sometimes confused with The Monsters and the Critics, another major Tolkien lecture, but that work focuses chiefly on the study of Beowulf.