Brandon Sanderson reveals J.R.R. Tolkien's sketching habits at Oxford

Author and Tolkien expert Brandon Sanderson recently shared a discovery regarding J.R.R. Tolkien’s creative process during his annual Tolkien lecture at Oxford. Sanderson revealed that a sketch of Helm’s Deep was found on the back of a student's paper.

According to Sanderson, Tolkien, who was a professor at Oxford starting in 1925 with a fellowship at Pembroke College, used the unused space on the back of papers he was grading over the summer to draft illustrations. Tolkien reportedly remarked, “Shame to waste this paper,” before sketching the location to help visualize his developing Middle-earth universe.

Before becoming a literary icon, Tolkien spent years developing the details of his fantasy world while teaching. His work on The Hobbit and the initial books of The Lord of the Rings trilogy took place during his tenure at the university.