J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1939 lecture was titled “Fairy Stories,” and it later influenced his essay “On Fairy-Stories.” Tolkien delivered the lecture as the Andrew Lang Lecture at the University of St Andrews.
The lecture examined what fairy stories are, what they can do, and why they should not be dismissed as merely childish entertainment. Tolkien developed ideas about fantasy, recovery, escape, and consolation, concepts that became central to the later essay.
“On Fairy-Stories” was published in 1947 and later included in the collection Essays Presented to Charles Williams. The lecture and essay are related but not identical texts, so treating their titles as interchangeable can create an inaccurate citation. Tolkien’s discussion also helps explain the literary principles behind his own imaginative fiction.