# Is "Beloved" by Toni Morrison a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Beloved by Toni Morrison (Alfred A. Knopf, 1987) is identified by: First printing has the full number line ending in '1' and 'FIRST EDITION' stated with the Borzoi device; first-issue dust jacket with its printed price. The 400-copy signed limited (Knopf, 1987) is the deluxe apex; the trade first (number line to 1, stated First Edition) is the open-market true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the full number line ending in '1' and 'FIRST EDITION' stated with the Borzoi device; first-issue dust jacket with its printed price
- A signed/limited issue of 400 copies, signed by Morrison, in slipcase, was issued
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Toni Morrison |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has the full number line ending in '1' and 'FIRST EDITION' stated with the Borzoi device; first-issue dust jacket with its… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has the full number line ending in '1' and 'FIRST EDITION' stated with the Borzoi device; first-issue dust jacket with its printed price. A signed/limited issue of 400 copies, signed by Morrison, in slipcase, was issued.

## Is this the true first?
The 400-copy signed limited (Knopf, 1987) is the deluxe apex; the trade first (number line to 1, stated First Edition) is the open-market true first. UK (Chatto & Windus, 1987) follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies are blind-stamped and lack 'First Edition'/full number line; the QPB/club editions are smaller and unpriced.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Beloved* by Toni Morrison a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/beloved
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.