# Is "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Alfred A. Knopf, 2013) is identified by: Knopf (a Borzoi Book), published 14 May 2013. UK Fourth Estate (11 April 2013) actually preceded the US Knopf (14 May 2013), so the UK is arguably the true first; both are collected, with the UK the senior issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Alfred A. Knopf (a Borzoi Book), published 14 May 2013
- The copyright page states First Edition with the Borzoi (Knopf) colophon and number line; the jacket design is credited to Abby Weintraub, and a first-state jacket carries its printed price and lacks the later award blurbs added after the National Book Critics Circle Award win
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2013 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Alfred A. Knopf (a Borzoi Book), published 14 May 2013 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
US Alfred A. Knopf (a Borzoi Book), published 14 May 2013. The copyright page states First Edition with the Borzoi (Knopf) colophon and number line; the jacket design is credited to Abby Weintraub, and a first-state jacket carries its printed price and lacks the later award blurbs added after the National Book Critics Circle Award win.

## Is this the true first?
UK Fourth Estate (11 April 2013) actually preceded the US Knopf (14 May 2013), so the UK is arguably the true first; both are collected, with the UK the senior issue. Won the National Book Critics Circle Award.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; Knopf firsts confirmed by First Edition plus the Borzoi colophon. Verify UK vs US precedence by date if seeking the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Americanah* by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/americanah
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.