Printed in the Swedish Language. Hompen: the first translation of The Hobbit or indeed any work by J.R.R. Tolkien into any language, and one of the rarest Tolkien editions in existence.
Published in Stockholm by Kooperativa Förbundets Bokförlag, 1947. Translated by Tore Zetterholm and illustrated by Charles Sjöblom. Bound in pictorial boards with a red cloth spine, 269 pages, illustrated throughout with vignettes and full-page drawings.
A controversial publication: Tolkien was so displeased with the light-hearted, colloquial tone of the translation and accompanying illustrations - as well as the publisher’s failure to consult him about either - that it was eventually suppressed, to be replaced by a new Swedish translation, Bilbo, in 1962. Copies of Hompen are consequently rare, and nice examples exceptionally so.
Condition: A pleasing copy, square and firmly bound. Minor bumping and rubbing at the corners, a minor scrape to the front board and microscopic scrapes to the board edges. Text block fresh, free from owner names and print-soiling. White spot to the top edge but otherwise a very clean and bright example. Unquestionably Very Good - a superior copy of a very rare book.
