Houghton Mifflin & Book Sense Celebrate 50th Anniversary of a Classic

October 21, 2004, marks the 50th anniversary of the first U.S. publication of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic The Lord of the Rings, and to celebrate, Houghton Mifflin is developing special-event kits and in-store display materials for Book Sense bookstores.

The countdown to the anniversary begins this summer: "Gandalf for President" buttons will be sent to stores with Book Sense in the July White Box. And Houghton Mifflin follows in September with a commemorative poster featuring Tolkien's original jacket design and the launch of all-new features on www.lordoftheringstrilogy.com.

This fall, Tolkien experts and illustrators will appear nationwide to discuss The Lord of the Rings phenomenon, and in the September Red Box, bookstores will receive the event kits and display material for in-store celebrations.

In time for the holiday season, Houghton Mifflin is publishing a special 50th Anniversary edition of The Lord of the Rings, which presents the fully corrected text and a full-color insert as Tolkien originally planned.

In addition, new editions of Tolkien's classic Letters From Father Christmas and The Silmarillion and lavishly illustrated books from the blockbuster film trilogy, The Lord of the Rings: The Complete Visual Companion and The Best of the Art of The Lord of the Rings, will be available.