First edition House clearance Hobbit found in 'run-of-the-mill' bookcase

‘HOLY Grail’ first edition of The Hobbit is poised to go under the hammer for thousands at auction - following its discovery during a routine Bristol house clearance.

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The copy of JRR Tolkien’s 1937 masterpiece was unearthed buried deep within an old bookcase.

It represents one of merely 1,500 copies originally published in September 1937.

Such was the book’s appeal that within mere weeks every copy had sold out, prompting a second print run.

The remaining volumes from that inaugural printing are now regarded as among the most coveted in contemporary literature.

It is anticipated to command upwards of £10,000 when it goes under the gavel at Hanham’s Auctioneum later this month.

The auctioneers revealed the original proprietor had died and they had been summoned to evaluate the household contents.