A grandson of JRR Tolkien and a descendant of Charles Dickens are to collaborate on two new fantasy books for children.
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| Michael Tolkein |
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| Gerald Dickens |
Publisher Thames River Press said the first book, Wish, was inspired by Florence Bone's 1923 story, The Rose-Coloured Wish. It tells the story of two children who set out to use an evil enchanter's wishing chain of stones to save their alpine valley, only to fall into trouble.
Michael Tolkien was introduced to the tales in the 1940s and 1950s as a child, and he later read them to his own children. He said he decided to pay tribute to the now-neglected tale and to "recreate the spirit of the original in new dress."
The second book, Rainbow, is based on Bone's 1910 novel, The Other Side of the Rainbow. Dickens said: "Wish is a timeless story which children will enjoy for years to come. Michael Tolkien has brought it to life in narrative verse."
I hadn't heard about this - how very cool! I wonder if writing talent is actually in the genes or if having a certain last name helps open doors. :-)
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Jocelyn
Thanks for your comment. I am sure their last names didn't hurt in getting their feet in certain doors. G. Tolkein is a poet in his own right. As for Dickens, I don't really know other than he's an actor and does West End plays in London. Having those magical names, though, certainly didn't hurt them!
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