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First US edition of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' found in Portobello Road Oxfam box and snapped up by the British Library

From the Newshound archive · first published 22 September 2026 · last updated 23 September 2026.

First US edition of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' found in Portobello Road Oxfam box and snapped up by the British Library

Oxfam deputy manager Gurpreet Karlcut spotted the potential treasure while sorting through a box of donated American books at the charity's Portobello Road shop. Manager Olivia Haysman-Walker then confirmed it was a genuine first US edition of Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, noting the dust jacket was worn but the pages inside were in beautiful condition.

First US editions of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' can fetch thousands of pounds on the open market.

Haysman-Walker said: 'It's amazing to think this book has passed through our Oxfam bookshop and into the national collection.'

The discovery came during Oxfam's annual Second Hand September campaign, which encourages shoppers to buy second-hand.

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