SHAUN Gunner was spellbound when he read The Hobbit in his bedroom when he was eight.

It was his first experience of J. R. R. Tolkien’s high fantasy world and it spirited him away to Middle Earth.

So he told Weekend that it feels ‘incredibly special’ to be chairman of The Tolkien Society at same time as The Desolation of Smaug is in cinemas.

“It’s pretty exciting,” said Shaun.

“Many of us thought we’d never see it on screen. To see this book that we care so much about brought to life is incredibly special.”

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit novels have sold 250 million copies between them.

But Peter Jackson’s acclaimed films have reached millions more and it is Shaun’s hope that new fans will seek out the source material.

Shaun added: “I welcome anything that brings more people to the books. Last year The Hobbit came top in the bestsellers list again.

“We just want people to enjoy Tolkien’s absolutely beautiful work.”

So why have the stories stood the test of time?

“Because they take place in an era that is not of this world,” said Shaun.

“They’re not grounded or anchored in any point in human history. You can totally detach yourself from your life and surroundings and immerse yourself in Middle Earth.

“Think how much the world has changed between 1937 (when The Hobbit was published) and now and actually the popularity of Tolkien’s work has not changed at all.”

But the adaptation of The Hobbit has been criticised for splitting the 310-page book into a trilogy.

Shaun added: “This is slightly controversial for the Tolkien Society but I’m actually supportive of having it as three films. The films do not feel ridiculously stretched “What you lose by putting a book on screen is the personal nature of the characters. The author can tell you what the character is thinking.

“But what you gain is the visual vistas so for instance when Bilbo meets Smaug, the dragon, you get these huge expansive shots of him looking around in the gold.”

Shaun is also supportive of some of the changes made to the Tolkien’s story such as the battle scene between Smaug and the Dwarves.

The 25-year-old said: “At no point do the Dwarves encounter the dragon in The Hobbit but I actually think it’s a good move to have done that. I think it’s an exciting action scene.”

Shaun has been a member of The Tolkien Society for eight years and attended the London premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey last year.

The Sussex resident even persuaded director Peter Jackson to film a greeting for the society’s special event celebrating 75 years of The Hobbit.

Shaun added: “It arrived at 4am and I was up at the time because I was working hard on the event and I remember thinking this is amazing.

“To top it all, he sent us a signed Hobbit poster and a signed Lord of the Rings boxset.

“It was really nice. People often forget he’s a massive Tolkien fan himself.

“He’s not just some casual filmmaker who’s picked up the book and thought I’m going to make a film out of this.

“He’s does it because he really loves it. He started plans for this almost 20 years ago.”