Information about the Facsimile Hobbit will be posted on the HC Facebook page today, https://www.facebook.com/officialtolkien

The picture came from HC, couple of points, the audio-cd includes the extra tracks from the Kindle Hobbit, and it looks like the spine of the book, is a better colour match to the original 1937 1st printing.

I think the text of Tolkien's lecture on Dragons from the 1st January 1938, page 310 of the revised Reader's Guide by Scull and Hammond, is also included, and I don't think this has been published before.

Glad to see they have made the boards green. That was the main thing I was interested in (and the first thing my eyes zoomed to on the photo!). I was hoping they might have lightened the green a bit on the jacket, but can't have everything.

Will be interesting to see what impression we are up to with it.

This is the text from the Facebook post

A week to go until this truly exceptional edition is released…

We are proud to present this commemorative HOBBIT FACSIMILE GIFT EDITION, which is packed to the rafters with special goodies including:

- A replica of the first edition containing the original version of the story before Tolkien re-edited it in 1947 (original editions are rare and pricey so few have had the chance to read this, until now)
- A special copy of Thror’s map which reveals the secret moon-runes when held to the light, as Tolkien first intended (but never enjoyed, as the map became endpapers instead)
- A CD of archive recordings that capture Tolkien reading from The Hobbit, including three previously unreleased excerpts
- A colour illustrated booklet that recounts the history of The Hobbit, plus connected writings by JRR Tolkien, including the never-before-published lecture ‘Dragons’ that he gave to children in Oxford on New Year’s Day 1938 to promote The Hobbit.
- A 3D lenticular cover based on Tolkien's own original book jacket design.

Don’t miss it. Pre-order your copy now

Thanks, Berelach, for letting us know that there is a printing marked as a first, otherwise we might have supposed that the paperback Beren and Lúthien was the fourth printing following on three in hardback. In London prior to the Bodleian opening next week, we found only fourth printings in Hatchard's, Waterstones in Garrick Street, and the British Library bookshop, but there are several first printings (less the one we bought) at Foyles in Charing Cross Road.

Wayne & Christina

Thanks for the update on where to find 1st impression copies around London, Wayne & Christina. Hopefully it helps someone else out!

Findegil wrote:
Thanks, Berelach, for letting us know that there is a printing marked as a first, otherwise we might have supposed that the paperback Beren and Lúthien was the fourth printing following on three in hardback. In London prior to the Bodleian opening next week, we found only fourth printings in Hatchard's, Waterstones in Garrick Street, and the British Library bookshop, but there are several first printings (less the one we bought) at Foyles in Charing Cross Road.

Wayne & Christina

My pleasure Findegil! On a somewhat related note, I'm still trying to find out if there was a first printing issued of the 2017 Jemima Catlin paperback Hobbit as 2nds were sent out for the pre-orders last year.

We saw a third printing of the paperback Catlin Hobbit at Foyles. As far as we've been able to determine, the first paperback printing was marked as the second, and that's what we bought on publication. Does anyone know if there was more than one printing of the original hardback? If not, one could assume that the first paperback was the second printing overall (dangerous though such an assumption could be).

Wayne & Christina

It's a shame they went through with the awful 3D-picture on the front of the box, it gives the whole a rather cheapish look... Nevertheless, looking forward to reading the complete lecture on dragons!

Onónion wrote:
It's a shame they went through with the awful 3D-picture on the front of the box, it gives the whole a rather cheapish look... Nevertheless, looking forward to reading the complete lecture on dragons!

Yeah, it is a really, really odd choice for something that is a replica of a "historic" book. That said, I'm glad to get a facsimile with green boards, so I'll tolerate the box.

More on the paperback Beren and Lúthien: the copies in Waterstones Piccadilly are from the 7th printing!

Wayne & Christina