What title did J.R.R. Tolkien give his 1939 lecture about fairy stories?

J.R.R. Tolkien titled his 1939 lecture about fairy stories “On Fairy-Stories.”

Tolkien delivered the lecture as the Andrew Lang lecture at the University of St Andrews in Scotland on 8 March 1939. He argued that fairy stories should not be dismissed as material intended only for children and explored their proper subject, origins, and effects.

The essay is especially important for Tolkien’s ideas about fantasy. He discussed recovery, escape, and consolation, and he defended the possibility that a well-made fantasy can reveal truths about the real world. He also described the “eucatastrophe,” a sudden turn toward joy or deliverance.

The text was later published in expanded form and became one of Tolkien’s most influential statements about literature. It is often read alongside “Leaf by Niggle,” which was published with it in the volume Tree and Leaf.