J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit was first published in 1937.
George Allen & Unwin released the first edition in London on 21 September 1937. Tolkien had originally written the story for his children, but the manuscript reached the publisher after a former student, Elaine Griffiths, encouraged its consideration. The book’s success quickly established Tolkien as a major author of fantasy fiction.
The Hobbit follows Bilbo Baggins as he leaves the Shire with Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug. It appeared before The Lord of the Rings and is generally more lightly styled and shorter.
A common mix-up is the date of the American edition, which appeared in 1938. The original British publication date is the canonical 1937 date, and later editions incorporated revisions connected with Tolkien’s developing mythology.