J.R.R. Tolkien’s essay On Fairy-Stories argues that fairy stories should be valued as more than children’s entertainment.
Tolkien originally presented the work as the Andrew Lang lecture at the University of St Andrews in 1938. He later revised it for publication. The essay examines what fairy stories are, who can enjoy them, and why their imaginative power should not be dismissed as childish.
Tolkien famously discusses recovery, escape, and consolation as important functions of fairy stories. He also describes the eucatastrophe, a sudden joyful turn that brings hope without erasing the seriousness of preceding events.
The essay is often encountered alongside Leaf by Niggle because the two were published together in the 1964 volume Tree and Leaf. They are separate works: On Fairy-Stories is an essay, while Leaf by Niggle is a short story.