# Is "Blue Heart" by Caryl Churchill a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Blue Heart by Caryl Churchill (Nick Hern Books, 1997) is identified by: Softcover in wrappers (no hardcover issued); Nick Hern Books, London, 1997, containing the two linked plays 'Heart's Desire' and 'Blue Kettle,' issued for the Out of Joint / Royal Court co-production. UK Nick Hern Books first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Softcover in wrappers (no hardcover issued)
- Nick Hern Books, London, 1997, containing the two linked plays 'Heart's Desire' and 'Blue Kettle,' issued for the Out of Joint / Royal Court co-production
- Publisher imprint reads Nick Hern Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Caryl Churchill |
| Publisher | Nick Hern Books |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Softcover in wrappers (no hardcover issued) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Softcover in wrappers (no hardcover issued); Nick Hern Books, London, 1997, containing the two linked plays 'Heart's Desire' and 'Blue Kettle,' issued for the Out of Joint / Royal Court co-production.

## Is this the true first?
UK Nick Hern Books first. US Theatre Communications Group edition (ISBN 1-55936-154-9) is later.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; NHB play texts are trade softcovers only.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Blue Heart* by Caryl Churchill a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/blue-heart
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.