A set of first editions of the The Lord of the Rings trilogy books that had been stolen from a hospice charity shop in Worcester, England has been secretly returned after a public outcry, according to The Times.
The three-volume set–on sale for roughly $2,000–were stolen from a locked cabinet on December 19, and noticed to be missing by staff on December 29. Dan Corns, the commercial director of St. Richard’s Hospice, which cares for adults with progressive illnesses, told The Times, “Obviously someone has thought about it and through their conscience has decided perhaps they didn’t do the right thing… While saddened by the theft of these beautiful, valuable books, we’ve been heartened by the response from others sharing our story and willing the items to be returned to us.”
December also marked the 20th anniversary of the first Lord of the Rings film, for which outspoken fan and late-night host Stephen Colbert assembled a motley crew of rappers–including Method Man and Killer Mike–offering an unusual, unexpected, and memorable tribute. Later that month, The Library of Congress also added the The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring to the National Film Registry for posterity and preservation.
While Lord of the Rings wrapped up its cinematic saga years ago, the franchise lives on as an upcoming game that stars Gollum, merchandise that includes stunning coins, a TV series that is in development, and a new animated film. Amazon is producing a big-budget TV series that will debut on September 2, 2022, while Warner Bros. has fast-tracked a Lord of the Rings animated movie.
