A "rare" first edition of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit discovered during a house clearance in Bristol has sold at auction for £43,000.
The book is one of only 1,500 copies printed in September 1937, according to auction house Auctioneum, and was sold to a UK-based private collector at an auction held in Bath.
Caitlin Riley, book specialist at Auctioneum, said: “It’s the quintessential auction story. Everyone dreams of finding a rare item hidden in plain sight, and here we are.
"House clearances can be tricky, stressful and troublesome - if ever there is a good advert for our service, it's this," Riley said. "This could have so easily been sent to landfill or disposed of by someone who didn't realise it was there. It really is a lucky survivor."
“The result just goes to show the pure love for Tolkien’s work. Written nearly 90 years ago, it’s amazing how relevant and popular it still is.
“People still want the escape; they want to delve into a fantastical world and discover new characters. Some people are clearly willing to pay large sums for the privilege."
The book was discovered in the family library of Hubert Priestley, a famous botanist in the 1930s and brother to Antarctic explorer and geologist Sir Raymond Edward Priestley.
The auction house said Priestley and Tolkien both shared mutual correspondence with author CS Lewis and had strong connections to the University of Oxford, meaning it is likely they knew each other.
“It’s the connection to Tolkien and the important provenance that makes this book so special," Riley said. "It’s not just any first edition; it belonged to someone who very likely called Tolkien an acquaintance.”
Including buyer’s premium, which is an additional charge that the winning bidder must pay on top of the hammer price, the book totalled £52,000.
The Hobbit, a children's fantasy novel published in 1937, follows hobbit Bilbo Baggins as he joins wizard Gandalf and 13 dwarves of Thorin's Company in a bid to win their treasure from dragon Smaug. Peter Jackson directed the film trilogy, which starred Martin Freeman as titular hobbit Bilbo.
"To think that just a few weeks ago this book was sat undiscovered on a bookshelf in a Bristol house, and has gone on to make headlines around the world, is quite incredible," Riley said. "Much like the tale within the covers - selling this has been a real adventure."
(PA/London) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
