Who edited and published many posthumous works by J.R.R. Tolkien, including The Silmarillion?

Christopher Tolkien edited and published many posthumous works by J.R.R. Tolkien, including The Silmarillion.

Christopher Tolkien was Tolkien’s third son and became the principal literary executor of his father’s papers. After J.R.R. Tolkien died in 1973, Christopher organized, edited, and sometimes assembled material from drafts, notes, and variant texts for publication.

The Silmarillion appeared in 1977, four years after Tolkien’s death. It presents the mythology and history of Arda, including the creation of the world, the wars of the First Age, and the stories of the Elves, Men, and Valar. Because Tolkien left the material unfinished and inconsistent in places, Christopher had to make editorial decisions.

Christopher later edited Unfinished Tales and the twelve-volume History of Middle-earth. His role was editor and interpreter, not co-author of the original mythology.