Forum Auctions Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper auction takes place on the 31st May in London. The sale is just after the ABA Rare Book Fair and includes a number of Tolkien items including a superb first edition of Tolkien’s landmark work The Hobbit. The book includes a first state dust jacket with the misprint Dodgeson. The book has a an estimate of £20,000-£30,000.

206 – Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Hobbit, Or There And Back Again, First Edition, First Impression, frontispiece, one plate and 8 illustrations, including 7 full-page, map endpapers printed in red and black, all by the author, 2pp. advertisements, occasional scattered spotting, original pictorial cloth, slight shelf-lean, very minor bumping to corners, else fine, first state dust jacket with the misprint “Dodgeson” for “Dodgson” corrected by hand on rear flap, light spotting and horizontal mark to spine, light toning to extreme head and foot of flaps, light scuffing and creasing to corners, some very minor surface soiling, but a sharp near fine example overall, 8vo, 1937. £20,000 – 30,000

The auction also includes an unusual printed programme from The New College School Production of The Hobbit signed by Tolkien. For Tolkien collectors it is definitely something different. The signed Tolkien programme has an estimate of £3,000 – 4,000.

209 Tolkien (J.R.R.).- Printed Programme For The New College School Production Of The Hobbit, adapted by Humphrey Carpenter with music by Paul Drayton, 4pp., illustrations, with map by Drayton to final p., Signed By Tolkien on upper cover, minor creasing, some light toning to margins of upper cover, [Hammond pp.23-24], 4to, 1967. A rare signed playbill for the second theatrical adaptation of The Hobbit. The first production of The Hobbit was performed at St. Margaret’s School, Edinburgh for teachers and parents in 1953. This second production was a larger affair, performed over three nights, with the author in attendance on the final night. The play was adapted by Humphrey Carpenter and music composed by the school music teacher Paul Drayton (who also drew the map for the lower cover). Signed copies of the book were raffled off each night, Tolkien also signed copies of the programme for the performers. £3,000 – 4,000.

Apart from Tolkien’s most famous works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Ring, he did write other books and the sale also includes a first edition of Beowulf The Monsters And The Critics.

207 Tolkien (J.R.R.) Beowulf: The Monsters And The Critics, First Edition,some light scattered spotting, original printed wrappers, browned at spine and cover margins, light creasing to extremities, still an excellent copy overall, 8vo, [1937]. An excellent example of a rare Tolkien publication. £400 – 600.

For more details visit Forum Auctions.