# Is "Big Sur" by Jack Kerouac a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Big Sur by Jack Kerouac (Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, 1962) is identified by: First printing so stated by 'First printing, 1962' on the copyright page. Farrar, Straus and Cudahy US (1962) is the true first, preceding the Andre Deutsch UK edition (1963).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing so stated by 'First printing, 1962' on the copyright page
- Bound in publisher's black cloth-backed blue marbled boards with the spine lettered in gilt
- First-issue dust jacket printed in black, blue, and green, designed by Janet Halverson, with the original printed price present on the front flap
- A true first in jacket should carry the 'First printing, 1962' statement together with the unclipped Halverson jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Cudahy
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jack Kerouac |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Cudahy |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | First printing so stated by 'First printing, 1962' on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing so stated by 'First printing, 1962' on the copyright page. Bound in publisher's black cloth-backed blue marbled boards with the spine lettered in gilt. First-issue dust jacket printed in black, blue, and green, designed by Janet Halverson, with the original printed price present on the front flap. A true first in jacket should carry the 'First printing, 1962' statement together with the unclipped Halverson jacket.

## Is this the true first?
Farrar, Straus and Cudahy US (1962) is the true first, preceding the Andre Deutsch UK edition (1963). Confirm the 'First printing, 1962' statement on the copyright page.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguish from later printings via the copyright page: only the true first states 'First printing, 1962'. The price-present, unclipped first-issue Halverson jacket is required for a true first in jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Big Sur* by Jack Kerouac a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/big-sur
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.