Tolkien was born in South Africa. 50 years on from his death, we at the Oxford Centre for Fantasy (Project Northmoor) have teamed up with the South African charity Light from Africa to create Tolkien legacy libraries which his worldwide fans can support. We aim to establish "Fantasy Reading Corners" at a selected number of schools and community resource centres in the Suurbraak and surrounding communities (situated in the Overberg region), as well as a school situated in Surrey Estate in the Cape metropole region of the Western Cape province in South Africa.

We plan to set up these fantasy nooks that will encourage youth and adults alike to escape into a different world through the literary world of authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien. Without sufficient funding, this is just a dream!

Each library cost around 86 000 rand (that's about £3750 or $4650). To sponsor a good book costs £12, a chair £10 and training for an assistant librarian £50. Many of these children come from homes with no books so these libraries will be truly life-changing. If ever you loved reading a book, give now to help another child experience the delight of going on a reading adventure!

Donations received for this project will be used to procure new reading material, to build bespoke reading pods that are comfortable and inviting, and to acquire limited multimedia audio-visual technology that will enhance the library user experience.

What will be the end result? Safe, inviting places to read and books in children's hands, with characters and stories that fire their imagination! Who knows: maybe another Tolkien will emerge from South Africa in this generation?

For more about Light From Africa, please visit their wonderful website here .