# Is "A Grain of Wheat" by James Ngugi (Ngugi wa Thiong'o) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Grain of Wheat by James Ngugi (Ngugi wa Thiong'o) (Heinemann, 1967) is identified by: First edition 1967, published by Heinemann in London as African Writers Series number 36, bylined 'James Ngugi' (before the author adopted the Gikuyu form of his name). Heinemann London 1967 is the true first edition with the original text, under the byline 'James Ngugi'.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition 1967, published by Heinemann in London as African Writers Series number 36, bylined 'James Ngugi' (before the author adopted the Gikuyu form of his name)
- Issued in both cloth and wrappers
- The author later revised the text for the 1986 edition, so the 1967 printing carries the original, unrevised text
- Publisher imprint reads Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Ngugi (Ngugi wa Thiong'o) |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition 1967, published by Heinemann in London as African Writers Series number 36, bylined 'James Ngugi' (before the author adopted… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition 1967, published by Heinemann in London as African Writers Series number 36, bylined 'James Ngugi' (before the author adopted the Gikuyu form of his name). Issued in both cloth and wrappers. The author later revised the text for the 1986 edition, so the 1967 printing carries the original, unrevised text.

## Is this the true first?
Heinemann London 1967 is the true first edition with the original text, under the byline 'James Ngugi'. The 1986 Heinemann edition is a revised text and is a separate 'first thus'. The US Macmillan issue follows the London first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A 1986 revised-text edition, or any copy bylined 'Ngugi wa Thiong'o' rather than 'James Ngugi', indicates a later edition. Distinguish the 1967 original text from the 1986 revision.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Grain of Wheat* by James Ngugi (Ngugi wa Thiong'o) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-grain-of-wheat
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.