Which Tolkien son became the chief editor and posthumous publisher of The Silmarillion?

Christopher Tolkien became the chief editor and posthumous publisher of The Silmarillion.

After J.R.R. Tolkien died in 1973, Christopher organized, compared, and edited his father’s extensive notes and drafts. The Silmarillion was published in 1977, presenting the creation myths and ancient histories of Tolkien’s invented world in a form suitable for publication.

Christopher’s editorial work continued for decades through books such as Unfinished Tales and the multi-volume History of Middle-earth. These publications reveal that Tolkien repeatedly revised names, genealogies, languages, and chronology. Christopher was therefore not simply copying a completed manuscript; he often had to make careful editorial decisions about unfinished or conflicting material.