When was The Hobbit first published?
The first edition of The Hobbit appeared on the 21st of September 1937 with a print run of 1,500 copies. These copies sold out by December due to enthusiastic reviews.
Questions about The Hobbit
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who wrote The Hobbit and what inspired its creation?
J. R. R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit while working as a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University in the early 1930s. He began writing after finding a blank page while marking School Certificate papers and composing the opening sentence In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.
What Norse mythology influences appear in The Hobbit?
Tolkien drew names for dwarves from Norse mythology including Fili Kili Oin Gloin Bifur Bofur Bombur Dori Nori Dwalin Balin Dain Nain and Thorin Oakenshield. The story also borrows elements from Beowulf such as a monstrous intelligent dragon and descriptions of swords adorned with runes.
How did The Hobbit perform commercially upon release?
Estimated global sales of The Hobbit run between 35 and 100 million copies since 1937 making it one of the best-selling books of all time. First editions can sell for between £6,000 and £20,000 at auction while signed first editions have reached over £60,000.
When was The Hobbit adapted into film by Peter Jackson?
Peter Jackson released his three-part live-action film version of The Hobbit on cinema screens between 2012 and 2014. Earlier adaptations included a March 1953 stage production and a 1966 short film by Gene Deitch.