What publisher released the first edition of The Hobbit in 1937?

What publisher released the first edition of The Hobbit in 1937? George Allen & Unwin released it. The London firm published J. R. R. Tolkien’s book on 21 September 1937, presenting the work as The Hobbit, or There and Back Again.

The first printing consisted of 1,500 copies and sold out by December after enthusiastic reviews. Tolkien supplied the illustrations, maps, and dust-jacket design, helping give the first edition its distinctive appearance. The book’s success led Stanley Unwin to ask Tolkien for a sequel, eventually resulting in The Lord of the Rings.

A common mix-up is Houghton Mifflin, which published the first American edition in 1938. That edition followed the British release and included four colour plates. Macmillan and HarperCollins are also associated with later Tolkien publishing in various markets or periods, but neither released the original 1937 first edition.

The original publisher later became part of Unwin Hyman, while HarperCollins acquired Tolkien’s publishing rights in 1990. Those later corporate connections do not change the bibliographic answer for the first edition.