In 1961, Tolkien was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature by his friend C. S. Lewis.

One of the interesting facts about J. R. R. Tolkien is that he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature by his friend CS Lewis. Lewis was inspired by Tolkien's literature to suggest him for this prestigious award even though the two authors aren't familiar with each other's work. From 1959 until his passing in 1973, Tolkien was retired and enjoyed a rising literary reputation and public acclaim. Even his buddy CS Lewis put him forward for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1961. He wished he had chosen to retire earlier because of how well his books were selling. He expressed disappointment in becoming such a cult figure in a letter from 1972, but he also acknowledged that "even the nose of a very humble idol cannot be fully seduced by the sweet aroma!"

Tolkien eventually moved with Edith to Bournemouth, which was then a sponsored seaside resort, after the fan interest got so great that he had to remove his phone number from the public directory by the affluent class of Britain. They found it simpler to fit into polite society because Tolkien rose to fame as a best-selling novelist.

Tolkien was not selected for the award by the Nobel committee, which stated that his writing was "in no way deemed to be storytelling of the highest caliber." Millions of readers would argue the opposite.