# Is "A Meeting by the River" by Christopher Isherwood a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Meeting by the River by Christopher Isherwood (Simon & Schuster, 1967) is identified by: Published in 1967 in both a US edition (Simon & Schuster, New York) and a UK edition (Methuen, London), both dated 1967. US Simon & Schuster 1967 is the commonly cited first; UK Methuen 1967 follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Published in 1967 in both a US edition (Simon & Schuster, New York) and a UK edition (Methuen, London), both dated 1967
- The American edition is generally cited as the first
- The UK Methuen first is bound in cloth, and its first-issue dust jacket carries a photograph by Ray Dean with a portrait of the author by Don Bachardy; the jacket should retain its printed price, and unclipped examples are collected as such
- Publisher imprint reads Simon & Schuster
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Christopher Isherwood |
| Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Published in 1967 in both a US edition (Simon & Schuster, New York) and a UK edition (Methuen, London), both dated 1967 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Published in 1967 in both a US edition (Simon & Schuster, New York) and a UK edition (Methuen, London), both dated 1967. The American edition is generally cited as the first. The UK Methuen first is bound in cloth, and its first-issue dust jacket carries a photograph by Ray Dean with a portrait of the author by Don Bachardy; the jacket should retain its printed price, and unclipped examples are collected as such.

## Is this the true first?
US Simon & Schuster 1967 is the commonly cited first; UK Methuen 1967 follows. Both editions are dated 1967 and dealers describe each as a first edition/first printing, so precedence rests on the conventional US citation rather than a documented month-by-month priority.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue noted.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Meeting by the River* by Christopher Isherwood a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-meeting-by-the-river
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.