What was the publication date of J.R.R. Tolkien’s first novel, The Hobbit?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s first published novel, The Hobbit, appeared on 21 September 1937. George Allen & Unwin issued the book in London with illustrations by Tolkien himself, including the famous map of Wilderland.

The story began as a tale Tolkien told his children and developed into a children’s fantasy novel about Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit recruited by the wizard Gandalf and thirteen dwarves. Its success surprised both author and publisher, and it quickly went through multiple printings.

The Hobbit was published before The Lord of the Rings and is generally more whimsical in tone. Tolkien revised parts of it, especially the chapter involving Gollum, to align it with the later epic. That revision explains why different editions contain slightly different wording in the riddle-game episode.