The points of issue
First edition, first printing, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1952. Copyright page states First Edition; 211 pp., hardcover in dust jacket. The novel was written roughly two decades earlier and held unpublished until this 1952 appearance.
Is this the true first?
US edition is the true first. A UK edition followed from Heinemann in 1953.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the First Edition statement. A Fawcett Gold Medal and later Signet paperback followed and are not the first; confirm the hardcover Duell, Sloan and Pearce issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of A Lamp for Nightfall a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition, first printing, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1952. Copyright page states First Edition; 211 pp., hardcover in dust jacket. The novel was written roughly two decades earlier and held unpublished until this 1952 appearance.
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. US edition is the true first. A UK edition followed from Heinemann in 1953.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings drop the First Edition statement. A Fawcett Gold Medal and later Signet paperback followed and are not the first; confirm the hardcover Duell, Sloan and Pearce issue.
I have a first edition of A Lamp for Nightfall — 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.