Rare First Edition of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' Discovered in Oxfam Donation, Acquired by British Library

A first US edition of Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was found in a box of donated American books at Oxfam's Portobello Road bookshop in west London. Shop manager Olivia Haysman-Walker identified the 1960 novel as a first edition, noting the dust jacket was worn but the pages were in beautiful condition. The British Library has since acquired the book for its national collection. The discovery coincides with Oxfam's Second Hand September campaign, which promotes second-hand shopping. Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, set in 1934 Alabama, tells the story of lawyer Atticus Finch defending Tom Robinson, a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. It has sold over 40 million copies worldwide and been translated into 40 languages. Harper Lee, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, died in 2016 at age 89. The British Library's extension project is set to begin in 2026.