Books banished to Cambridge tower go on display

The collection of unusual books will open to the public on May 2 Credit: Cambridge University Library

If you have ever fancied reading The Hobbit in Cornish now is your chance.

It is one of the rare books from Cambridge University's renowned Tower Collection going on display; many for the first time.

The library has been entitled to a copy of all new published books since 1710.

Rare books will go on display for the first time Credit: Cambridge University Library

Books which were not considered of academic importance were shelved in a tower.

But now a selection of the nearly one million books stored in the 17-storey Tower Collection are being shown to the public.

The exhibition Tall Tales: Secrets of the Tower will open today (May 1).

It will include first editions of Casino Royale and The Famous Five as well as well as more unusual books like Cupid’s Code (For the Transmission of Secret Messages by Means of the Language of Postage Stamps).

It is part of a collection of almost a million books Credit: Cambridge University Library