To Kill A Mockingbird first edition found in Oxfam shop

A rare first edition of Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird' was discovered in an Oxfam charity shop in London. The book has been acquired by the British Library for its national collection.
Why it matters
The discovery highlights the cultural value of second-hand donations and the preservation of literary history.
Image source, Oxfam Portobello Image caption, The book has since been acquired by the British Library and will join its national collection
A rare first edition of the novel To Kill A Mockingbird has been found among items donated to Oxfam, according to the charity.
The copy of Harper Lee's seminal 1960 work was discovered in a box of American books given to the charity's bookshop in Portobello Road, west London.
It has since been acquired by the British Library and will join its national collection.
Shop manager Olivia Haysman-Walker, who identified the copy as being a first US edition, said the book could easily have been missed. "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.
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