The Bovadium Fragments, J.R.R. Tolkien – UK First Edition, First Impression, Signed by Richard Ovenden (2025)

Beautiful UK 1st edition and 1st printing of The Bovadium Fragments, signed on the title page by Richard Ovenden OBE, who contributes the companion essay The Origin of Bovadium.

Published by HarperCollins in 2025, this is the very first appearance in book form of Tolkien’s satirical tale The Bovadium Fragments, edited by Christopher Tolkien and accompanied by previously unseen drawings by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. The volume is further enriched by Richard Ovenden’s substantial essay, placing the text within its Oxford context and the late-1940s debates surrounding urban planning and motor-car culture.

This copy is a genuine UK first edition, first impression, and has been signed directly by Richard Ovenden on the title page in bold black ink, exactly as shown in the photographs.

The production quality is excellent: a sturdy hardback bound in pale lilac boards, gilt lettering to the spine, illustrated endpapers, and high-quality paper stock with crisp printing. The dustjacket reproduces fragments of Tolkien’s own artwork and is clean, bright, and unfaded.

Condition is effectively as new. The dustjacket shows no wear, the binding is tight, the pages are pristine, and the signature remains sharp and vibrant. No ownership markings, no inscriptions, no bumps, and the text block is perfectly clean.

This signed copy represents one of the very first collectible states of a newly published Tolkien work, combining a Tolkien text edited by Christopher Tolkien with the signature of Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s Librarian at Oxford and one of the leading figures in modern Tolkien scholarship and curation.

An excellent signed first printing of a significant 2025 Tolkien publication, in immaculate condition and highly suitable for gift, collection, or future investment.

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