A Hobbit’s Holiday: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Journeys in the Belle Époque

Authors José Manuel Ferrández Bru and Fernando Frías Sánchez

We are delightd to share that Luna has acquired EWR for A Hobbit’s Holiday: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Journeys in the Belle Époque, translated from the published Spanish original Las Vacaciones de un Hobbit: Los Viajes de J.R.R. Tolkien Durante la Belle Époque (Legendaria Ediciones), by Tolkien scholars José Manuel Ferrández Bru and Fernando Frías Sánchez.

Luna author José Manuel Ferrández Bru, joined our family back in 2106, with the acclaimed biography of Father Francis Morgan, for many remembered as J.R.R. Tolkien's guardian and "second father". The book, "Uncle Curro". J.R.R. Tolkien's Spanish Connection was published by Luna in both English and Spanish (El Tío "Curro". La Conexión Española de J.R.R. Tolkien).

He returns to Luna with Tolkien colleague Fernando Frías Sánchez, whom we are delighted to welcome to the Luna family!

"In their respective chapters, clichés are dismantled and valuable new information presented. Enjoy the journey, which promises fresh perspectives on a body of work you thought you knew well." José María Miranda Boto

The Authors on the Book:

It is a common misconception that J.R.R. Tolkien was entirely disconnected from his time, residing in a nostalgic ‘bubble’ rooted in an idealised past. This book challenges that view, demonstrating how his formative years during the Belle Époque profoundly shaped his work.

From the rugby fields of King Edward’s School to the transformative impact of the Industrial Revolution and the emergence of modern tourism, these pages explore the specific environmental and social factors that defined his sensibilities before the Great War. Particular attention is devoted to his pivotal journeys to Switzerland (1911) and France (1913)—his only two trips abroad prior to the conflict—which impacted him profoundly, albeit in distinct ways.

Through this re-examination, vital insights into the creative motivations behind Middle-earth are revealed, portraying a Tolkien who was not alienated from his world, but deeply engaged with the realities of the twentieth century.

About the Authors:

José Manuel Ferrández Bru (b. Elche, 1970) is a Computer Engineer and independent Tolkien researcher with over thirty years of experience in the field. A founding member and first President of the Tolkien Society of Spain, he has published in a range of academic journals including Tolkien Studies (West Virginia University Press) and the Tolkien Society’s Mallorn, and was awarded with the Ælfwine Essay Prize of the Tolkien Society of Spain in 2008.

He is the author of “Uncle Curro”. J.R.R. Tolkien's Spanish Connection, with editions in Spain, the UK (Luna Press Publishing, 2018), and Italy. An early version of this work was a finalist for the Premio Algaba de Biografía (2006).

In addition, he has contributed to several anthologies, including The Return of the Ring Proceedings (2016), J.R.R. Tolkien y la Tierra Media (2021), Tolkien en el Reino Peligroso (2024), Proceedings of the Tolkien 2019 Conference (2025), and Tolkien, un Clásico de Nuestros Días (2025).

Based in Spain, he has lectured on Tolkien at international conferences in the UK, Italy, and Colombia, and curated a major exhibition together with Fernando Frías (co‑author of this work): La Fortaleza del Anillo (Alicante, 2015–2016), the largest Tolkien exhibition ever held in Spain.

Fernando Frías Sánchez is a lawyer and science communicator. One of the recurring themes in his lectures and talks is Tolkien's influence on the world of science, which he often uses as a central thread in his presentations at university courses and outreach events.

His research on J.R.R. Tolkien's 1911 trip to Switzerland was awarded with the Aelfwine Prize by the Spanish Tolkien Society in 2009, and since then he has continued to expand upon it with new findings and his firsthand knowledge of many of the places visited by the professor and his companions.

Author of numerous articles in newspapers and specialized journals, both in Spain and in Argentina, Canada and the United States, in 2019 he received the prestigious Tesla Prize for Science Communication.

A Hobbit’s Holiday: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Journeys in the Belle Époque will be released in 2028.