George Allen & Unwin published 'The Hobbit, or There and Back Again' in London, priced at seven shillings and sixpence with Tolkien's own illustrations. The first print run of 1,500 copies sold out by Christmas. Its success prompted Tolkien's publisher to ask for a sequel, eventually yielding 'The Lord of the Rings' seventeen years later.
Tolkien, an Oxford philologist, had been scribbling the story for his children for years before a former student, Susan Dagnall, saw the manuscript and urged him to finish it for publication. He reportedly wrote the famous opening line, 'In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit,' on the back of an exam paper he was grading, with no idea what a hobbit even was at the time.
The book found an unlikely champion in the 10-year-old son of publisher Stanley Unwin, who was paid a shilling to review it. His verdict — 'This book, with the help of maps, does not need any illustrations. It is good and should appeal to all children between the ages of 5 and 9' — helped seal the deal.
Reviews were glowing, including one from C.S. Lewis, Tolkien's friend and fellow Oxford don. What began as a whimsical children's tale about a reluctant burglar and thirteen dwarves would eventually reshape fantasy literature for the rest of the twentieth century.
Key people: J.R.R. Tolkien