# Is "A Tree of Night and Other Stories" by Truman Capote a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Tree of Night and Other Stories by Truman Capote (Random House, 1949) is identified by: "FIRST PRINTING" stated on the copyright page. US first edition (Random House, 1949), preceding the Heinemann London edition of the following year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "FIRST PRINTING" stated on the copyright page
- Capote's second book, a story collection bound in black cloth with silver and yellow lettering on the spine and a grey topstain, [10], 3-209, [7] pages; the title page is printed in blue with a tree illustration
- The first-issue jacket, designed by Leo Manso, carries the printed price on the front flap
- Ahearn reference APG 002a
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Truman Capote |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1949 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "FIRST PRINTING" stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
"FIRST PRINTING" stated on the copyright page. Capote's second book, a story collection bound in black cloth with silver and yellow lettering on the spine and a grey topstain, [10], 3-209, [7] pages; the title page is printed in blue with a tree illustration. The first-issue jacket, designed by Leo Manso, carries the printed price on the front flap. Ahearn reference APG 002a.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition (Random House, 1949), preceding the Heinemann London edition of the following year.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Issues lacking the stated "FIRST PRINTING" line are not the true first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Tree of Night and Other Stories* by Truman Capote a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-tree-of-night-and-other-stories
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.