Westminster Abbey to honor J. R. R. Tolkien in Poets’ Corner

Westminster Abbey will honor J. R. R. Tolkien with a permanent memorial in the historic Poets’ Corner, scheduled for unveiling in the spring of 2027. The timing coincides with the 90th anniversary of ‘The Hobbit’ and the 50th anniversary of ‘The Silmarillion’.

Designed by artist Stephen Broadbent of Broadbent Studio, the 2.5-meter monument will be integrated into a stone pillar in the abbey's south transept. The design is inspired by Tolkien’s ‘Tree of Tales’ (the Tree of Amalion) and will feature a forest surrounding a central tree. The memorial will be crafted primarily from native UK woods, including a piece of the iconic black pine from the University of Oxford Botanic Garden that inspired the author.

The project was developed through consultations with Tolkien specialists and the Tolkien Estate. With this addition, Tolkien will join other literary giants such as William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and his close friend C. S. Lewis in the memorial space.