# Is "Abba Abba" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Abba Abba by Anthony Burgess (Faber & Faber, 1977) is identified by: First printing of the Keats and Belli novella with the sequence of translated sonnets. UK Faber and Faber 1977 is the true first; a US Little, Brown edition also appeared in 1977.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of the Keats and Belli novella with the sequence of translated sonnets
- The London Faber and Faber edition of 1977, an octavo of about 127 pages in papered boards, is the originating edition
- Publisher imprint reads Faber & Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of the Keats and Belli novella with the sequence of translated sonnets |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing of the Keats and Belli novella with the sequence of translated sonnets. The London Faber and Faber edition of 1977, an octavo of about 127 pages in papered boards, is the originating edition.

## Is this the true first?
UK Faber and Faber 1977 is the true first; a US Little, Brown edition also appeared in 1977.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Abba Abba* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/abba-abba
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.