The points of issue
First English edition. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1982, cloth in dust jacket, 374 pages, translated by Helen R. Lane. Translation of 'La tia Julia y el escribidor.' First US edition, first printing.
Is this the true first?
True first of the work is the Spanish 'La tia Julia y el escribidor' (Seix Barral, Barcelona, 1977). The 1982 FSG is the first English edition; the UK Faber edition followed.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later FSG and Penguin paperbacks are reprints.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First English edition. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1982, cloth in dust jacket, 374 pages, translated by Helen R. Lane. Translation of 'La tia Julia y el escribidor.' First US edition, first printing.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. True first of the work is the Spanish 'La tia Julia y el escribidor' (Seix Barral, Barcelona, 1977). The 1982 FSG is the first English edition; the UK Faber edition followed.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later FSG and Penguin paperbacks are reprints.
I have a first edition of Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.