Who edited and arranged J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion for publication after Tolkien’s death?

Christopher Tolkien edited and arranged The Silmarillion for publication after J.R.R. Tolkien’s death.

J.R.R. Tolkien died in 1973, leaving behind many versions, drafts, notes, and unfinished sections connected with the mythology of Middle-earth. Christopher Tolkien worked through this enormous archive and shaped a publishable volume from the material. The Silmarillion appeared in 1977.

The book presents the creation of the world, the early history of the Valar, the awakening of the Elves, and the tragedies of the First Age. It includes major narratives such as the story of Fëanor and the Silmarils, the downfall of Númenor, and the account of the War of Wrath.

Because the work was assembled from multiple texts, it does not have exactly the same editorial status as a novel completed by Tolkien for publication. Christopher Tolkien’s editorial decisions were essential to making the posthumous book readable while preserving as much of his father’s mythology as possible.