A rare first edition of Harper Lee's classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird has been discovered among items donated to Oxfam, according to the charity. The copy of the 1960 novel was found in a box of American books donated to Oxfam's bookshop on Portobello Road in west London. The book has since been acquired by the British Library and will be added to its national collection, preserving it for future generations. Olivia Haysman-Walker, a shop manager at the Oxfam bookshop, identified the copy as a first U.S. edition. She explained that the book could have easily been overlooked among the other donations. "There were many books to go through in the donation, but we recognized To Kill a Mockingbird and decided to take a closer look," she said. She noted that they quickly realized they had something special. "The dust jacket showed its age, and although it was worn around the edges, the pages inside were in beautiful condition." The discovery has been described as a journey, with the book moving from the Oxfam bookshop to the British Library's national collection. This event coincides with Oxfam's annual Second Hand September campaign, which highlights the valuable items that can be found in second-hand shops. The campaign encourages people to donate and shop second-hand, reducing waste and uncovering hidden treasures. Harper Lee's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel follows the story of lawyer Atticus Finch as he defends Tom Robinson, a Black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman. Set in Alabama in 1934, the story explores themes of racial injustice and childhood innocence. The book has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 40 languages. Harper Lee, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, passed away in 2016 at the age of 89.