# Is "A Bend in the River" by V. S. Naipaul a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Bend in the River by V. S. Naipaul (André Deutsch, 1979) is identified by: States 'First published 1979' on the copyright page; issued in cloth boards with a dust jacket priced in sterling on the front flap (ISBN 0 233 97140 8). True first is the UK Andre Deutsch 1979 edition; the US Knopf 1979 is a first American printing only, published the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- States 'First published 1979' on the copyright page; issued in cloth boards with a dust jacket priced in sterling on the front flap (ISBN 0 233 97140 8)
- The UK Andre Deutsch edition is the true first; the US Alfred A. Knopf edition, also dated 1979, is the first American printing
- Publisher imprint reads André Deutsch
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | V. S. Naipaul |
| Publisher | André Deutsch |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | States 'First published 1979' on the copyright page; issued in cloth boards with a dust jacket priced in sterling on the front flap (ISBN 0… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
States 'First published 1979' on the copyright page; issued in cloth boards with a dust jacket priced in sterling on the front flap (ISBN 0 233 97140 8). The UK Andre Deutsch edition is the true first; the US Alfred A. Knopf edition, also dated 1979, is the first American printing.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the UK Andre Deutsch 1979 edition; the US Knopf 1979 is a first American printing only, published the same year. Among Naipaul's most sought-after later titles.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-of-the-Month Club editions derived from the US Knopf exist (blind stamp to rear board, no printed price on the jacket flap); these are not the true first. Distinguish the UK Deutsch first, which states 'First published 1979' and carries the priced sterling jacket, from the US printings.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Bend in the River* by V. S. Naipaul a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-bend-in-the-river
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.