On what date was The Hobbit first published?

The Hobbit was first published on 21 September 1937. George Allen & Unwin released J. R. R. Tolkien’s novel in the United Kingdom, introducing readers to Bilbo Baggins, the dwarves of Thorin’s Company, and the dragon Smaug.

The book was published as The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. Tolkien wrote it as a children’s fantasy story, but its carefully built world of Middle-earth, invented languages, songs, maps, and mythology gave it unusual depth. He also illustrated the first edition and designed its dust jacket.

The publication date is sometimes confused with later milestones. The first American edition was prepared by Houghton Mifflin and appeared in early 1938, while a second British printing arrived at the end of 1937. The novel’s popularity grew rapidly after favourable reviews, and its initial 1,500-copy print run sold out by December.

The success of The Hobbit eventually led Tolkien to write its much larger sequel, The Lord of the Rings. That sequel began as an intended continuation but developed into a far more expansive story.