# Is "After Many a Summer" by Aldous Huxley a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of After Many a Summer by Aldous Huxley (Chatto & Windus, 1939) is identified by: First printing under the original UK title After Many a Summer (Chatto & Windus, London, 1939). UK Chatto & Windus is the true first under the shorter title; the US Harper edition appeared the same year with the fuller title.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing under the original UK title After Many a Summer (Chatto & Windus, London, 1939)
- The American edition (Harper & Brothers, 1939) carries the expanded title After Many a Summer Dies the Swan
- Publisher imprint reads Chatto & Windus
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Aldous Huxley |
| Publisher | Chatto & Windus |
| Year | 1939 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing under the original UK title After Many a Summer (Chatto & Windus, London, 1939) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing under the original UK title After Many a Summer (Chatto & Windus, London, 1939). The American edition (Harper & Brothers, 1939) carries the expanded title After Many a Summer Dies the Swan.

## Is this the true first?
UK Chatto & Windus is the true first under the shorter title; the US Harper edition appeared the same year with the fuller title. Title wording is the key distinguishing point.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Differing US and UK titles distinguish the two editions.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *After Many a Summer* by Aldous Huxley a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/after-many-a-summer
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.