Which publisher released the first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird?

The first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird was released by J. B. Lippincott & Co. on July 11, 1960. The Philadelphia-based publisher acquired Harper Lee’s manuscript and worked with editor Tay Hohoff as Lee revised it into the finished novel.

Lee’s original manuscript was an earlier version titled Go Set a Watchman. Hohoff believed it needed substantial development, and over roughly two and a half years she guided Lee through revisions that transformed the material into the child-narrated story of Scout Finch, Jem, and Atticus.

HarperCollins is a common mix-up because it publishes prominent modern editions of the novel. It was not the publisher of the 1960 first edition. J. B. Lippincott & Co. later became part of the corporate history that led to modern publisher imprints, but the original edition carried the Lippincott name.