# Is "1985" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of 1985 by Anthony Burgess (Hutchinson, 1978) is identified by: First printing, combining an Orwell critique with a novella. UK Hutchinson 1978 is the true first; the US Little, Brown edition followed in 1978.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing, combining an Orwell critique with a novella
- The London Hutchinson edition of 1978, in blue cloth boards stamped in silver, runs to roughly 240 pages and precedes the American Little, Brown edition of 1978
- Publisher imprint reads Hutchinson
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | Hutchinson |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing, combining an Orwell critique with a novella |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing, combining an Orwell critique with a novella. The London Hutchinson edition of 1978, in blue cloth boards stamped in silver, runs to roughly 240 pages and precedes the American Little, Brown edition of 1978.

## Is this the true first?
UK Hutchinson 1978 is the true first; the US Little, Brown edition followed in 1978.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue identified.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *1985* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/1985
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.