# Is "Betrayal" by Harold Pinter a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Betrayal by Harold Pinter (Eyre Methuen, 1978) is identified by: First edition Eyre Methuen, London, 1978 (Methuen Modern Plays). UK Eyre Methuen 1978 is the true first and precedes the US Grove Press 1979 edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition Eyre Methuen, London, 1978 (Methuen Modern Plays)
- Copyright page states 'First published in 1978' with no later-impression line
- Issued in printed wrappers and in cloth with dust jacket; verify the state by binding
- A signed limited edition of 150 numbered copies (Karnac in association with Eyre Methuen) appeared simultaneously in 1978 as the premium state
- Publisher imprint reads Eyre Methuen
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Harold Pinter |
| Publisher | Eyre Methuen |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition Eyre Methuen, London, 1978 (Methuen Modern Plays) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition Eyre Methuen, London, 1978 (Methuen Modern Plays). Copyright page states 'First published in 1978' with no later-impression line. Issued in printed wrappers and in cloth with dust jacket; verify the state by binding. A signed limited edition of 150 numbered copies (Karnac in association with Eyre Methuen) appeared simultaneously in 1978 as the premium state.

## Is this the true first?
UK Eyre Methuen 1978 is the true first and precedes the US Grove Press 1979 edition. Establish the first impression by the 'First published in 1978' statement. The 150-copy numbered, author-signed Karnac/Eyre Methuen issue is the limited premium state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Later impressions add impression statements; the US Grove 1979 is a separate later first thus.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Betrayal* by Harold Pinter a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/betrayal
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.