# Is "Beyond Personality" by C.S. Lewis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Beyond Personality by C.S. Lewis (Geoffrey Bles / The Centenary Press, 1944) is identified by: First UK edition 1944 (Geoffrey Bles / The Centenary Press); slim 64-page volume of the BBC radio talks, printed on War Economy paper, in original pale yellow cloth with the backstrip lettered in blue. UK Bles/Centenary Press true first; US Macmillan edition follows in 1945.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition 1944 (Geoffrey Bles / The Centenary Press); slim 64-page volume of the BBC radio talks, printed on War Economy paper, in original pale yellow cloth with the backstrip lettered in blue
- First-issue dust jacket printed in blue and cream, with the printed price present
- Later incorporated into Mere Christianity
- Publisher imprint reads Geoffrey Bles / The Centenary Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.S. Lewis |
| Publisher | Geoffrey Bles / The Centenary Press |
| Year | 1944 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition 1944 (Geoffrey Bles / The Centenary Press); slim 64-page volume of the BBC radio talks, printed on War Economy paper, in… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First UK edition 1944 (Geoffrey Bles / The Centenary Press); slim 64-page volume of the BBC radio talks, printed on War Economy paper, in original pale yellow cloth with the backstrip lettered in blue. First-issue dust jacket printed in blue and cream, with the printed price present. Later incorporated into Mere Christianity (1952).

## Is this the true first?
UK Bles/Centenary Press true first; US Macmillan edition follows in 1945.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Text superseded by Mere Christianity; the 1944 first stands as a distinct earlier state.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Beyond Personality* by C.S. Lewis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/beyond-personality
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.