But still, isn’t it wonderful to know that even Tolkien procrastinated on writing his conference talks? And I love the mental image of J.R.R. Tolkien pulling an all-nighter in a hotel in St Andrews, finishing his keynote.

Before your jaw drops at the thought of Tolkien writing such a seminal essay in less than a week, remember that the essay we now know and love was developed over a period of many years after the original lecture.