# Is "A Dead Man in Deptford" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Dead Man in Deptford by Anthony Burgess (Hutchinson, 1993) is identified by: Hutchinson, London, 1993, first UK edition, first printing (272 pages, ISBN 0-09-177977-4). UK Hutchinson 1993 is the true first edition, first printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Hutchinson, London, 1993, first UK edition, first printing (272 pages, ISBN 0-09-177977-4)
- Burgess's novel on the life and death of Christopher Marlowe, the last of his novels published in his lifetime (he died in 1993)
- Issued in publisher's boards with a black cloth spine strip lettered in gilt and black endpapers; the dust jacket carries a bright yellow design with white lettering showing eyes and riverside buildings
- A complete first jacket retains the printed price on the flap, though price-clipped copies are also found
- The UK Hutchinson 1993 precedes the US Carroll & Graf edition of 1995
- Publisher imprint reads Hutchinson
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | Hutchinson |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Hutchinson, London, 1993, first UK edition, first printing (272 pages, ISBN 0-09-177977-4) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Hutchinson, London, 1993, first UK edition, first printing (272 pages, ISBN 0-09-177977-4). Burgess's novel on the life and death of Christopher Marlowe, the last of his novels published in his lifetime (he died in 1993). Issued in publisher's boards with a black cloth spine strip lettered in gilt and black endpapers; the dust jacket carries a bright yellow design with white lettering showing eyes and riverside buildings. A complete first jacket retains the printed price on the flap, though price-clipped copies are also found. The UK Hutchinson 1993 precedes the US Carroll & Graf edition of 1995.

## Is this the true first?
UK Hutchinson 1993 is the true first edition, first printing. The US Carroll & Graf edition followed in 1995.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue is recorded. The 1993 Hutchinson first is distinguished from the US Carroll & Graf issue by imprint and by the yellow Hutchinson jacket with its black cloth spine strip and black endpapers.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Dead Man in Deptford* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-dead-man-in-deptford
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.