The Hobbit Published: Tolkien's Fantasy Begins
J.R.R. Tolkien was grading exam papers at Oxford when he found a blank page in a student's booklet and wrote, for no reason he could ever explain, "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." The story grew from that spontaneous sentence into a manuscript that publisher Stanley Unwin gave to his 10-year-old son Rayner to evaluate. Rayner's review, written for a payment of one shilling, recommended publication for children between the ages of 5 and 9. The Hobbit was published on September 21, 1937, with a first print run of 1,500 copies. It sold out by Christmas. The story of Bilbo Baggins launched the modern fantasy genre and led directly to The Lord of the Rings, which has sold over 150 million copies.
September 21, 1937
89 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on September 21
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