# Is "At the Bottom of the River" by Jamaica Kincaid a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of At the Bottom of the River by Jamaica Kincaid (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1983) is identified by: Kincaid's first book, a story collection. US FSG 1983 is the true first; a UK Picador/Pan edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Kincaid's first book, a story collection
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1983
- The true first carries the stated 'First Printing 1983' on the copyright page (verso of the title page); orange paper-covered boards quarter-bound in green cloth, with the original price-intact dust jacket
- The stories first appeared in The New Yorker
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jamaica Kincaid |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Kincaid's first book, a story collection |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Kincaid's first book, a story collection. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1983. The true first carries the stated 'First Printing 1983' on the copyright page (verso of the title page); orange paper-covered boards quarter-bound in green cloth, with the original price-intact dust jacket. The stories first appeared in The New Yorker.

## Is this the true first?
US FSG 1983 is the true first; a UK Picador/Pan edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club edition is a separate printing lacking the 'First Printing 1983' statement, often blind-stamped with no price on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *At the Bottom of the River* by Jamaica Kincaid a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/at-the-bottom-of-the-river
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.