# Is "Angels & Insects" by A.S. Byatt a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Angels & Insects by A.S. Byatt (Chatto & Windus, 1992) is identified by: First published 1992 by Chatto & Windus, London; contains two novellas, 'Morpho Eugenia' and 'The Conjugial Angel.' The UK first is a hardcover with a red-tinted top edge and a red ribbon marker, issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed net price. UK Chatto & Windus (1992) is the true first; the US Random House edition appeared the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published 1992 by Chatto & Windus, London; contains two novellas, 'Morpho Eugenia' and 'The Conjugial Angel.' The UK first is a hardcover with a red-tinted top edge and a red ribbon marker, issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed net price
- Publisher imprint reads Chatto & Windus
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | A.S. Byatt |
| Publisher | Chatto & Windus |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published 1992 by Chatto & Windus, London; contains two novellas, 'Morpho Eugenia' and 'The Conjugial Angel.' The UK first is a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First published 1992 by Chatto & Windus, London; contains two novellas, 'Morpho Eugenia' and 'The Conjugial Angel.' The UK first is a hardcover with a red-tinted top edge and a red ribbon marker, issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed net price. Octavo.

## Is this the true first?
UK Chatto & Windus (1992) is the true first; the US Random House edition appeared the same year. The UK precedes.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition. Do not confuse the UK Chatto first with the US Random House edition, which is bound in blue boards with a gilt-embossed angel on the front board; that decorated binding is not a point of the Chatto & Windus first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Angels & Insects* by A.S. Byatt a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/angels-insects
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.