The points of issue
London: Victor Gollancz, 1935. Orwell's second novel, in a small printing of about 2,000 copies. Bindings are recorded in both black cloth and green cloth; the dust jacket is printed in pink and black on a yellow ground (designed by Denis Piper) and is exceedingly rare. Title page dated 1935 with no later impression statement. Orwell disliked the book and blocked reprints in his lifetime, leaving the first as the principal edition.
Is this the true first?
UK Gollancz (1935) is the true first; the US Harper edition followed in 1936.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Very few period reprints. Confirm a genuine first by the 1935 title-page date and absence of any later impression line; the scarce pink-and-black-on-yellow jacket is the key collecting point.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Clergyman's Daughter a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: London: Victor Gollancz, 1935. Orwell's second novel, in a small printing of about 2,000 copies. Bindings are recorded in both black cloth and green cloth; the dust jacket is printed in pink and black on a yellow ground (designed by Denis Piper) and is exceedingly rare. Title page dated 1935 with no later impression statement. Orwell disliked the book and blocked reprints in his lifetime, leaving the first as the principal edition.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. UK Gollancz (1935) is the true first; the US Harper edition followed in 1936.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Very few period reprints. Confirm a genuine first by the 1935 title-page date and absence of any later impression line; the scarce pink-and-black-on-yellow jacket is the key collecting point.
I have a first edition of A Clergyman's Daughter — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.