A Bit of Hobbit History

In the early 1930s, J.R.R. Tolkien served as a Professor of Anglo-Saxton at Pembroke College.  In a letter to W.H. Auden, he remembers that he began work on The Hobbit while marking school papers.  Suddenly feeling inspired, he turned one of the papers over and wrote: “In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit.”  Two years later, The Hobbit was completed.  The manuscript was distributed among Tolkien’s friends, eventually finding its way into the hands of publisher Stanley Unwin.  After a brilliant review by Unwin's 10 year old son Rayner, The Hobbit was realized.

    With its first publication by George Allen & Unwin, Ltd, on September 21st, 1937, The Hobbit remains one of the most acclaimed and beloved children’s stories of all time.  The original printing numbered 1,500 copies and sold out in 3 months, thanks to overwhelming critical acclaim.  Despite the book’s popularity, paper rationing during World War II made The Hobbit less available until 1949 when conditions improved. It has since been translated into over 40 different languages with at least 50 different editions in publication.

    Today, The Hobbit is used in classrooms as an educational tool and still regarded as the original and greatest fantasy novel ever written.

  A film adaptation of The Hobbit is currently in production and slated for release in two parts in 2012 & 2013.   Sir Peter Jackson is executive producing and co-writing with Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and director Guillermo Del Toro.  Ian Mckellan, Hugo Weaving, and Andy Serkis are set to reprise their roles from The Lord of the Rings trilogy.