The Waldman letter is a letter written to Milton Waldman, an editor and advisor to publishers in London, who had expressed an interest in The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion after the widespread success of The Hobbit. For context, The Hobbit was published in 1937, this letter was written in 1951, and The Fellowship of the Ring would not be published until 1954. Unfortunately, The Silmarillion itself was not published until 1977 after Tolkien’s death.

Tolkien had hoped to publish The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion together and this letter reflects his belief that the two were interdependent. This letter is important because it pieces together all of Tolkien’s stories concerning Middle-earth, showing how they are all a part of the same “great tale”.