# Is "The Hobbit" by J. R. R. Tolkien a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (George Allen & Unwin, 1937) is identified by: First impression, George Allen & Unwin, 21 September 1937, 1,500 copies. The UK Allen & Unwin 1937 first impression is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First impression, George Allen & Unwin, 21 September 1937, 1,500 copies
- Copyright page states 'First published... 1937' with no reference to any later printing
- Green cloth boards with Tolkien's designs stamped in blue on front, spine and rear; top edge stained green
- Thror's Map and the Wilderland map on the endpapers, printed in red and black
- The first impression is illustrated with Tolkien's BLACK-AND-WHITE drawings ONLY -- it has NO colour plates
- Dust jacket: on the lower rear flap 'Dodgson' is misprinted 'Dodgeson,' with the surplus 'e' struck through by hand in ink by the publisher -- the headline first-impression jacket point; the jacket also carries Tolkien's runic border and the printed price present
- Publisher imprint reads George Allen & Unwin

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Publisher | George Allen & Unwin |
| Year | 1937 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First impression, George Allen & Unwin, 21 September 1937, 1,500 copies |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First impression, George Allen & Unwin, 21 September 1937, 1,500 copies. Copyright page states 'First published... 1937' with no reference to any later printing. Green cloth boards with Tolkien's designs stamped in blue on front, spine and rear; top edge stained green; Thror's Map and the Wilderland map on the endpapers, printed in red and black. The first impression is illustrated with Tolkien's BLACK-AND-WHITE drawings ONLY -- it has NO colour plates. Dust jacket: on the lower rear flap 'Dodgson' is misprinted 'Dodgeson,' with the surplus 'e' struck through by hand in ink by the publisher -- the headline first-impression jacket point; the jacket also carries Tolkien's runic border and the printed price present.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Allen & Unwin 1937 first impression is the true first. The US edition (Houghton Mifflin, 1938) is a separate first American edition and -- unlike the UK first impression -- includes the four colour plates. The 'Dodgeson' inked-correction jacket and the black-and-white-only illustrations are the headline points of the true first impression.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The second impression (Allen & Unwin, December 1937, issued early 1938, 2,300 copies) is the classic look-alike: it is stated 'Second Impression 1937' and ADDS four colour illustrations (a colour frontispiece plus three colour plates -- Rivendell facing p.59, the Raft-elves facing p.192, and Conversation with Smaug facing p.228). Any copy containing colour plates, or stating 'Second Impression,' is NOT the first impression. A cleanly printed 'Dodgson' jacket (with no inked correction) likewise points away from the first impression.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hobbit* by J. R. R. Tolkien a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hobbit
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.