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

It was his first experience of J. R. R. Tolkien’s 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 the same time as The Desolation of Smaug is in cinemas.

“It’s pretty exciting.

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,” he said.

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 Shaun hopes that new fans will seek out the source material.

He said: “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 beautiful work.

“The stories have stood the test of time as 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.”

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

Shaun, left, added: “This is slightly controversial for the society but I’m actually supportive of having it as three films, which do not feel ridiculously stretched “What you lose by putting a book on screen is the personal nature of the characters.

“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.”

The 25-year-old 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.

He said: “It was really nice.

People often forget he’s a massive Tolkien fan himself.”