New Tolkien book

A new novel by Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien is to be released - a full 89 years after he started writing it.

The Children of Hurin, which will be available in hardback next month, was completed by Tolkien's son Christopher, himself now 82.

The book, details of which are being fiercely guarded by publisher Harper-Collins, is described as an "epic story of adventure, tragedy, fellowship and heroism".

The tale featured briefly in Tolkien's last book, The Silmarillion, but the long version was left unfinished when he died in 1971.

Christopher took 30 years to prepare the book for publication using piles of notes left by his father.

It will be the first "new" Tolkien book since The Silmarillion was published posthumously in 1977.