75 years ago

Today, the sainted Geri Sullivan reminds us, is the 75th anniversary of the first science fiction convention, which was held in Leeds, Yorkshire.

A few miles to the south, 75 years ago was also the 45th birthday anniversary of the author whose first book that would today be eligible for a Hugo, The Hobbit, was already in press and would be published in September. In fact, only the following day he would send the two endpaper maps to his editor. At that point nobody - author or publisher - had the slightest notion of what would be in store after that, least of all the impending doom I wrote about last month.

Anyway, happy birthday, JRRT. He's 120 today - "twelvety," I guess, as 111 is "eleventy-one."