What was J.R.R. Tolkien’s first published scholarly book, co-written with E.V. Gordon?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s first published scholarly book, co-written with E.V. Gordon, was Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

The edition appeared in 1925, the same year Tolkien became Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford. Tolkien and Gordon presented the Middle English poem with an authoritative text and extensive scholarly notes, helping make it more accessible to modern students and readers.

The poem’s narrative centers on a New Year’s challenge, a magical exchange-of-winnings agreement, and Gawain’s moral testing. Tolkien’s academic work on the poem demonstrates that his expertise was grounded in close study of medieval language and literature. His later public fame came from fantasy novels, but his professional career began in philology and textual scholarship.