# Is "Austerlitz" by W. G. Sebald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Austerlitz by W. G. Sebald (Hamish Hamilton, 2001) is identified by: The first English edition is the Hamish Hamilton 2001 hardcover, translated by Anthea Bell, bound in maroon cloth with gold-stamped spine lettering and with photographs integrated in the text. The UK Hamish Hamilton 2001 hardcover is the first English-language trade edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first English edition is the Hamish Hamilton 2001 hardcover, translated by Anthea Bell, bound in maroon cloth with gold-stamped spine lettering and with photographs integrated in the text
- The UK trade edition precedes the US Random House 2001 edition, which was bound in sepia-brown boards with a black-and-silver spine
- Publisher imprint reads Hamish Hamilton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. G. Sebald |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Year | 2001 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first English edition is the Hamish Hamilton 2001 hardcover, translated by Anthea Bell, bound in maroon cloth with gold-stamped spine… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The first English edition is the Hamish Hamilton 2001 hardcover, translated by Anthea Bell, bound in maroon cloth with gold-stamped spine lettering and with photographs integrated in the text. The UK trade edition precedes the US Random House 2001 edition, which was bound in sepia-brown boards with a black-and-silver spine.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Hamish Hamilton 2001 hardcover is the first English-language trade edition. The German original (Carl Hanser, 2001) is the true first in any language. Sebald died in December 2001, shortly after publication.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No club edition is involved. The absolute true first is the German Hanser 2001 edition; among English printings, UK Hamish Hamilton precedes US Random House.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Austerlitz* by W. G. Sebald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/austerlitz
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.