# Is "A Small Place" by Jamaica Kincaid a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1988) is identified by: Book-length essay on Antigua. US FSG 1988 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Book-length essay on Antigua
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1988
- The true first has the stated 'First printing' on the copyright page; jacket design by Cynthia Krupat, with the original price-intact dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jamaica Kincaid |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Book-length essay on Antigua |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Book-length essay on Antigua. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1988. The true first has the stated 'First printing' on the copyright page; jacket design by Cynthia Krupat, with the original price-intact dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US FSG 1988 is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club edition is a separate printing lacking the stated first-printing line, with no price on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Small Place* by Jamaica Kincaid a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-small-place
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.