# Is "Benny and Omar" by Eoin Colfer a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Benny and Omar by Eoin Colfer (The O'Brien Press, 1998) is identified by: Irish first, The O'Brien Press, Dublin, 1998, published as a paperback original (ISBN 0862785677). Irish O'Brien Press edition (1998) is the true first and Colfer's first published book, predating Artemis Fowl.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Colfer's debut novel
- Irish first, The O'Brien Press, Dublin, 1998, published as a paperback original (ISBN 0862785677)
- Identify by the O'Brien Press imprint and 1998 first-published statement on the copyright page; first-state cover with price intact
- Publisher imprint reads The O'Brien Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Eoin Colfer |
| Publisher | The O'Brien Press |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Colfer's debut novel |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Colfer's debut novel. Irish first, The O'Brien Press, Dublin, 1998, published as a paperback original (ISBN 0862785677). Identify by the O'Brien Press imprint and 1998 first-published statement on the copyright page; first-state cover with price intact.

## Is this the true first?
Irish O'Brien Press edition (1998) is the true first and Colfer's first published book, predating Artemis Fowl. Genuinely scarce and desirable for completists.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reissues carry post-Artemis-Fowl author banners and are separate later issues.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Benny and Omar* by Eoin Colfer a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/benny-and-omar
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.