"Leaf by Niggle" is a short fictional work, alternately called a short story and a novella, by acclaimed fantasy writer and Christian essayist J.R.R. Tolkien. The story was first published in the Dublin Review in January 1945, despite being written nearly seven years earlier. Since then, it has been included in several of Tolkien's collections, notably Tree and Leaf, The Tolkien Reader, and Tales from the Perilous Realm.
Despite being one of Tolkien's lesser-known works, "Leaf by Niggle" is one of the most important works for understanding the author's mind and creative process. It is a vivid embodiment of the principles of Creation and Sub-creation he outlines in his influential essay "On Fairy-Stories," a philosophy that is central to his worldview. Tolkien believes that writing stories and creating logically consistent secondary worlds is an ultimately worthwhile pursuit; his Middle-earth, for instance, is a notable example of such a secondary world. "Leaf by Niggle" explores the story of a modest, humble man who experiences a similar desire to create something beautiful.
Although he never explicitly made the connection himself, many critics read "Leaf by Niggle" as an allegory of Tolkien's own life, making it essentially autobiographical. As Niggle goes about his life, attempting to create his "tree" (a symbol for Tolkien's Middle-earth), he encounters similar obstacles as Tolkien, and his symbolic journey into the purgatory-like afterlife mimics Tolkien's own Christian faith.
