# Is "Antwerp" by Roberto Bolaño a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Antwerp by Roberto Bolaño (New Directions, 2010) is identified by: New Directions 2010, first English-language edition; translated by Natasha Wimmer (translation copyright 2010). First English-language edition of the novella 'Amberes' (written 1980, first published in Spanish in 2002, the year before the author's death).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New Directions 2010, first English-language edition; translated by Natasha Wimmer (translation copyright 2010)
- The first edition is a pocket-sized black hardback with a boldly stamped cover, bearing the New Directions imprint on the first printing
- Text comprises 56 short fragments
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roberto Bolaño |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New Directions 2010, first English-language edition; translated by Natasha Wimmer… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New Directions 2010, first English-language edition; translated by Natasha Wimmer (translation copyright 2010). The first edition is a pocket-sized black hardback with a boldly stamped cover, bearing the New Directions imprint on the first printing. Text comprises 56 short fragments.

## Is this the true first?
First English-language edition of the novella 'Amberes' (written 1980, first published in Spanish in 2002, the year before the author's death). A New Directions Pearls paperback followed.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Antwerp* by Roberto Bolaño a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/antwerp
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.