Orwell first edition found in charity bin
Updated
Charity find: A copy of George Orwell's novel 1984. (Supplied)
A first British hardcover edition of George Orwell's novel 1984 has turned up in a Lifeline charity bin in Wollongong, south of Sydney.
The book was published in 1949 and has a red dustcover.
It is estimated to be worth many thousands of dollars.
Fairfax journalist and 1984 scholar Bruce Elder says the book will be sold at a fundraising book fair auction this weekend.
"You will be given a sheet of paper, you'll write your name, your telephone number down and what you want to pay for the book," Mr Elder explained.
"That will go into an envelope and then on Sunday at 3pm we will open all those envelopes and the person who has offered the most will be contacted."
Mr Elder says it is remarkable the book still has the cover jacket.
"Now that may not mean a lot to people," he said.
"But if you are a book collector, then to actually have the cover... because the covers get tabby and worn and people just tend to throw them away."
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