# Is "A Fool's Alphabet" by Sebastian Faulks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Fool's Alphabet by Sebastian Faulks (Hutchinson, 1992) is identified by: States 'First published 1992' by Hutchinson on the copyright page. UK Hutchinson (1992) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- States 'First published 1992' by Hutchinson on the copyright page
- Publisher's brown cloth lettered in gilt, in a pictorial, priced dust jacket
- Structured as 26 chapters, each set in a place beginning with a different letter
- Publisher imprint reads Hutchinson
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sebastian Faulks |
| Publisher | Hutchinson |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | States 'First published 1992' by Hutchinson on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
States 'First published 1992' by Hutchinson on the copyright page. Publisher's brown cloth lettered in gilt, in a pictorial, priced dust jacket. Structured as 26 chapters, each set in a place beginning with a different letter.

## Is this the true first?
UK Hutchinson (1992) is the true first. The US first came later. The UK precedes.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Fool's Alphabet* by Sebastian Faulks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-fools-alphabet
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.