J. R. R. Tolkien is often remembered for the epic scale of Middle-earth: its scenery, languages, histories, races, battles, heroes, monsters …  

Oh, and some very serious jewellery.

That said, I think part of Middle-earth’s enduring attraction is that people actually seem to enjoy living there.

I know I would!

There’s friendship, food, conversation, hospitality, plenty of fun — and, occasionally, a wizard turning up at your door and taking exception to your veiled rudeness.

What a lot of things you do use Good morning for!” said Gandalf. “Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won’t be good till I move off.

A tiny exchange, but a personal favourite. It captures something important about Tolkien’s writing: his humour and his affection for fellowship. Gandalf isn’t delivering one of the grand pronouncements for which Tolkien is better known. He’s being mildly exasperated with Bilbo. And it makes the world feel inhabited by ordinary folk, by good people. Without these things, it’s a dark and dangerous place.

Perhaps that’s part of the magic. We don’t only want to visit Middle-earth for the adventures. We rather like the idea of sitting down in a warm room there, putting the kettle on, and having a good catch-up with a friend. Maybe at Bag End, maybe in the Hall of Fire at Rivendell.

Not every almanac author will get two entries, but if anyone deserves their birth and death commemorated, it’s Tolkien. The darker, more determined version can wait until January. We might replace Gandalf’s twinkling blue eye with that red one atop Barad-dûr then.

For now, I’ll take the tea and companionship.

Over to you: tell me about a fictional world you’d like to live in.