Abstract
This note revisits J.R.R. Tolkien’s trip to the Netherlands, March 28-31, 1958, including his attendance at the Rotterdam Hobbit-maaltijd (“Hobbit Meal” or “Hobbit Dinner”), and afterwards. It focuses specifically on his interactions with Prof. Dr. Maartje Draak, a prominent Dutch Celticist. Although Prof. Draak is not mentioned in René van Rossenberg’s paper, “Tolkien’s Exceptional Visit to Holland: A Reconstruction” (Mythlore 1996), items from Prof. Draak’s archives at Utrecht University and an offprint paper she sent to Tolkien in 1959 allow us to recover Tolkien’s acquaintance with this important Dutch scholar, to enhance our picture of the famous Hobbit Dinner, and to provide insights into Tolkien’s personal reflections and professional relationships during this period.
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ORCID ID
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7637-0719
Fig. 1. Hobbit-maaltijd Invitation cover
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Fig. 2. Hobbit-maaltijd Invitation contents
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Fig. 3. Hobbit-maaltijd Programma
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Fig. 4. Page from Draak's Diary, March 28-29, 1958
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Fig. 5. Draak notes
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Fig. 6. Tolkien's Postcard to Draak
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