- First-impression jackets of The Hobbit (1937) carry a hand correction on the rear flap, where the misspelling "Dodgeson" (for Dodgson, Lewis Carroll's real name) was amended in ink by the publishers.
Publisher · founded 1976 · Crows Nest
Allen & Unwin
Allen & Unwin, as George Allen & Unwin of London (1914), first published Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings; the name now belongs to an Australian publisher.
- Editions tracked
- 160
- First editions
- 65
- Books
- 158
- Years
- 1890 to 2022
Allen & Unwin is a publisher based in Crows Nest, founded in 1976. We track 160 editions it published between 1890 and 2022, 65 of them first editions across 158 books. How Allen & Unwin marked its first editions is set out below, with a checker for the year on your title page.
About Allen & Unwin
Allen & Unwin began as George Allen & Unwin, the London publisher created in 1914 when Stanley Unwin bought control of George Allen's business, and is best known as the first publisher of J. R. R. Tolkien; the name now belongs to an independent Australian publisher.
George Allen founded his firm, George Allen & Sons, in 1871. After Stanley Unwin took a controlling interest in 1914, the firm traded as George Allen & Unwin Ltd from London. It published Tolkien's The Hobbit on 21 September 1937 in a first printing of 1,500 copies, which sold out by December, followed by The Lord of the Rings in 1954 and 1955. Rayner Unwin retired at the end of 1985.
In 1986 the firm merged with Bell & Hyman to form Unwin Hyman under Robin Hyman, and the Allen & Unwin name was kept only for the Australian subsidiary. Hyman sold Unwin Hyman to HarperCollins in 1990, although Rayner Unwin, its largest shareholder, opposed the sale. In July 1990 the Australian company became independent through a management buyout. Based in Crows Nest, New South Wales, it publishes up to 250 new titles a year and co-sponsors the Australian/Vogel Literary Award.
Holding a copy? The first edition checker shows Allen & Unwin's practice for the year on your title page.
Identification
How to identify Allen & Unwin first editions
Authors
Books
Published by Allen & Unwin
Spot the first: Dust jacket, front flap: Printed price on the front flap: 6s. net (first issue jacket)
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify an Allen & Unwin first edition?
- First-impression jackets of The Hobbit (1937) carry a hand correction on the rear flap, where the misspelling "Dodgeson" (for Dodgson, Lewis Carroll's real name) was amended in ink by the publishers.
How many Allen & Unwin books does MyVolumes track?
We track 160 editions published by Allen & Unwin, 65 of them first editions, across 158 books.
Where these facts come from
- Allen & Unwin, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Allen & Unwin (Q56677707), Wikidata (wikidata.org)
- Tolkien, The Hobbit, lot 298, Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, Christie's (christies.com.cn)
- The Hobbit First Edition could make thousands, Antique Collecting, 2024 (antique-collecting.co.uk)
- The Hobbit first edition 1937 identification, Festival Art and Books, 2026 (festivalartandbooks.com)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.