# Is "Birdsong" by Sebastian Faulks a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks (Hutchinson, 1993) is identified by: States 'First published 1993' by Hutchinson; the copyright-page number line runs down to 1 on the true first impression. UK Hutchinson (1993) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- States 'First published 1993' by Hutchinson; the copyright-page number line runs down to 1 on the true first impression
- Original green cloth lettered in silver, grey endpapers, in a priced dust jacket
- Faulks's most collected book; the first impression precedes the US Random House edition
- Publisher imprint reads Hutchinson
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sebastian Faulks |
| Publisher | Hutchinson |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | States 'First published 1993' by Hutchinson; the copyright-page number line runs down to 1 on the true first impression |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
States 'First published 1993' by Hutchinson; the copyright-page number line runs down to 1 on the true first impression. Original green cloth lettered in silver, grey endpapers, in a priced dust jacket. Faulks's most collected book; the first impression precedes the US Random House edition (1996).

## Is this the true first?
UK Hutchinson (1993) is the true first. The US Random House edition came in 1996. The UK strongly precedes. Confirm the Hutchinson imprint and that the number line ends in 1.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later Vintage paperback editions are reprints, not the first; check that the number line ends in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Birdsong* by Sebastian Faulks a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/birdsong
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.