“The Hobbit” First Edition Sells for $210,000 in London Auction House

The copy, printed in 1937, was gifted by the author in the 1920s to one of his first students at the University of Leeds, Katherine “Kitty” Kilbride, who safeguarded the novel her whole life.

The first pages are adorned with a dedication written by Tolkien in “Elvish,” the fictional language invented by the author of the wildly popular fantasy series, “The Lord of the Rings.”

The sale marks a record-high for a first edition of “The Hobbit,” which previously auctioned for 50,000 pounds (roughly $76,000) in 2008.

The novel was written by Tolkien in the 1920s but was not released until Sept. 21, 1937.