Who was J.R.R. Tolkien’s third son and literary executor?

Christopher Tolkien was J.R.R. Tolkien’s third son and literary executor.

Born in 1924, Christopher became the principal editor of many of his father’s posthumously published writings. He prepared The Silmarillion for publication in 1977, drawing on drafts, notes and multiple versions of Tolkien’s mythology. His editorial work made a vast amount of unfinished material available to readers.

Christopher also produced Unfinished Tales, The History of Middle-earth and other editions based on his father’s papers. He was not merely a publisher or biographer: he reconstructed texts while explaining variant passages and the development of Tolkien’s ideas. His role is sometimes confused with that of Tolkien’s other children, but Christopher’s long editorial stewardship was central to the modern understanding of Middle-earth’s history.