A rare first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird has been discovered in a box of donated books at an Oxfam shop in central London.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee, first published in 1960, was among a collection of American books recently donated to the charity's Portobello Road branch. Deputy manager Gurpreet Karlcut realised one of the hardbacks might be of significant value while looking through the box. Shop manager Olivia Haysman-Walker then researched the edition, including its print dates, jacket design and binding, and established that it was a first US edition.
Donation nearly missed
“It could so easily have been missed,” Olivia said. “There were lots of books to work through in the donation, but we recognised To Kill a Mockingbird and thought it was worth taking a closer look.”
She added: “We realised quite quickly that we had something really special. The dust jacket showed its age, and although it was worn around the edges, the pages inside were in beautiful condition.”
Acquired by the British Library
The rare book was later listed for sale before being acquired by the Eccles Institute for the Americas and Oceania at the British Library, following an assessment of its condition. How much the book was bought for has not been disclosed, but first editions can be worth thousands of pounds.
The purchase will help support Oxfam's work around the world, including its efforts to help people affected by poverty, conflict and humanitarian crises. This includes communities affected by the devastating floods in Nepal.
“It's amazing to think that this book has passed through our Oxfam bookshop and into the national collection at the British Library – I delivered it to the Library myself,” Olivia said.
“It really has been quite a journey, and it's a lovely reminder, during Second Hand September, of the kind of treasures that can be hiding among the shelves and donations in our shops.”
