Tolkien memorial unveiled at author's college

The bronze sculpture was created by JRR Tolkien's grand-nephew, Tim Tolkien

A memorial to The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien has been unveiled at the University of Oxford college where he used to teach.

The bronze sculpture, created by sculptor Tim Tolkien, the writer's grand-nephew, was revealed at Pembroke College.

Neil Gaiman, who served as master of ceremonies at the event, told the BBC that Tolkien was a "towering figure" who "singlehandedly created an entire genre of literature".

The college said Tolkien was "one of the college’s most esteemed fellows and a literary giant of the 20th Century".

Neil Gaiman served as master of ceremonies at the event at Pembroke College

The memorial design depicts Tolkien as he looked during his time at Pembroke.

Its Junior and Middle Common Rooms each raised 10% of the funds. The Tolkien Society and the Tolkien Estate also contributed.

The author served as the Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at the college from 1925 to 1945.

He also wrote The Hobbit, part of The Lord of the Rings, and critical works such as Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics during his time there.

A special poem was read out at the unveiling by writer and Pembroke alumna Roz Kaveney.

Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and part of The Lord of the Rings during his time at Pembroke College

Gaiman, author of The Sandman and Good Omens, said he had been a fan of Tolkien ever since he bought an "ancient green hardcover" of The Hobbit for a penny.

He said: "Even more exciting for me was finding in the school library The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.

"I read them over and over and when I got to the end of The Two Towers I’d go back to The Fellowship of the Ring.

"And when at the age of 12 I won the school English prize they said: ‘What do you want? We’ll get you a book.' And I said: 'Can I have The Return of the King? I want to find out how it ends.'"

He said hosting the event was "an honour that I’m not worthy of, and that’s fine because none of us are".

He added: "Being in this place feels huge and strange and very appropriate. Walking the grounds that Tolkien walked, [feeling] just slightly disappointed that there are not enough trolls and elves here as well, but maybe they’ll turn up."

The Lord of the Rings has been translated into more than 50 languages and has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide.

Tolkien died in 1973, but the popularity of his works remains undimmed.

Upcoming adaptations of his works include season two of Amazon Prime Video's The Rings of Power TV series and anime film The War of the Rohirrim.