Which Tolkien book contains the essay “On Fairy-Stories”?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s essay “On Fairy-Stories” appears in Tree and Leaf.

Tree and Leaf is a collection that brought together Tolkien’s essay “On Fairy-Stories” and the related short story “Leaf by Niggle.” The first edition was published in 1964, although the essay originated as Tolkien’s 1939 Andrew Lang Lecture at the University of St Andrews.

In “On Fairy-Stories,” Tolkien examines what fairy stories are, why adults can value them, and how fantasy can provide recovery, escape, and consolation. He also discusses the idea of a eucatastrophe, a sudden joyful turn that gives a story hope.

The essay is sometimes mistakenly treated as a chapter of The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings. It is a work of literary criticism and theory, while Tree and Leaf is the book that paired it with Tolkien’s allegorical story about the artist Niggle.