Is My Copy of Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood a First Edition?

The points of issue

• Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of Random House, New York, published 15 November 2016, ISBN 0-399-58817-5
• hardcover in dust jacket, 288 pages (a few collations give 304), octavo, approx. 9.5 x 6.5 in
• The copyright page states "First Edition" AND carries a complete number line running 9 down to 1 — dealers verify "1-9 present." Random House's practice is to state "First Edition" and to strike that statement on subsequent printings while the number line advances, so both the statement and the 1 must be present; either alone is insufficient
• Priced jacket / price present at the flap, unclipped, not remainder-marked
• No first-state text error, binding variant or jacket variant is documented for this title

How Spiegel & Grau marked a first edition

• For the PRH-era titles, first printing carries a full number line descending to 1, typically with a "First Edition" statement, following Random House practice

Full Spiegel & Grau first-edition guide →

How to verify your copy, step by step

1. Find the copyright page — the verso (back) of the title page.
2. Confirm the first-edition statement — look for “First Edition,” “First Printing,” or the publisher’s equivalent wording.
3. Read the number line — the lowest number is the printing. A line including 1 is a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2). Paste it into the decoder.
4. Verify this is the US true first — not a later-market or reprint edition.
5. Rule out a book-club edition — a blind-stamp on the rear board or a jacket with no printed price marks a book-club copy.
6. Photograph four things — the front cover, spine, title page, and copyright page — the standard record for identification.

The dust jacket

For a collectible first edition the dust jacket matters as much as the book. Confirm the jacket is present and unclipped — the printed price should still be at the corner of the flap (a clipped corner or a price-less flap can indicate a book-club issue). First-state jackets can differ from later ones in the cover art, blurbs, or review quotations; where a specific first-state jacket point is known for this title it is noted above.

Binding & format

Where multiple bindings exist, the hardcover trade issue is usually (but not always) the precedence copy — confirm against the points above. Later printings often show cheaper cloth, thinner boards, or simplified spine stamping. A simultaneous signed or limited issue, when one exists, is a distinct state from the trade first.

Is this the true first?

The US Spiegel & Grau edition (New York, 15 November 2016) is the true first, preceding the UK John Murray edition (London, 17 November 2016; hardcover ISBN 9781473635289 — the 9781473635296 ISBN is the John Murray paperback) by two days. The margin is two days, not months: that is thin enough that the priority should be checked against the imprint in hand rather than assumed, and both editions are collected — the Spiegel & Grau as the first edition, the John Murray as the British first. Later copies bearing the same 9780399588174 ISBN under the One World imprint (Random House's successor after Spiegel & Grau was closed) are reissues of the same text, not the 2016 first.

Telling it from reprints & book-club editions

No book-club issue is documented. The reprint tells are the ones Random House builds in: later printings lack the "First Edition" statement and/or begin the number line at 2 or higher. The specific trap on this title is imprint drift — retail and dealer listings carrying the original ISBN under "One World" rather than "Spiegel & Grau" are later reissues, and a listing that names the publisher without quoting the copyright page proves nothing about the printing.P-043237

Frequently asked questions

Is my copy of Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood a first edition?

A first edition of Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (Spiegel & Grau) is identified by: Spiegel & Grau, an imprint of Random House, New York, published 15 November 2016, ISBN 0-399-58817-5 (9780399588174); hardcover in dust jacket, 288 pages (a few collations give 304), octavo, approx. 9.5 x 6.5 in.

How do I tell the first printing from a later one?

Check the copyright page. A number line whose lowest number is 1 marks a first printing (Random House ends at 2). The US Spiegel & Grau edition (New York, 15 November 2016) is the true first, preceding the UK John Murray edition (London, 17 November 2016; hardcover ISBN 9781473635289 — the 9781473635296 ISBN is the John Murray paperback) by two days.

Is the book-club edition the same as the first?

No book-club issue is documented. The reprint tells are the ones Random House builds in: later printings lack the "First Edition" statement and/or begin the number line at 2 or higher. The specific trap on this title is imprint drift — retail and dealer listings carrying the original ISBN under "One World" rather than "Spiegel & Grau" are later reissues, and a listing that names the publisher without quoting the copyright page proves nothing about the printing.

I have a first edition of Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood — what should I do?

First, document the copy: photograph the copyright page (the number line and any edition statement) and the dust-jacket flap. Confirm the points of issue above against your copy, and decode the printing with the free First Edition Checker. Clearing out books? I take them as a free donation and make sure collectible copies are identified, not discarded: free pickup in the Albuquerque metro (scheduled by route), the 24/7 drop box at 5445 Edith Blvd NE, or donor-paid mail-in from anywhere in the US. Questions? Call or text 505-250-3804.

Glossary

First edition

Every copy printed from the first setting of type. Collectors usually want the first edition, first printing (the true first).

First printing / impression

A single press run from that setting. The first printing is the earliest and most desirable; later printings are still the first edition but not the true first.

Number line (printer's key)

A row of numbers on the copyright page (e.g. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). The lowest number present is the printing — a line including 1 marks a first printing (Random House deliberately ends at 2).

Points of issue

Specific physical details — a stated edition, a number line, a typo, a jacket state — that identify the true first printing.

Book-club edition (BCE)

A reprint made for a book club. Tells include a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board and a dust jacket with no printed price. Not the true first.

First thus

The first appearance of a particular version (first paperback, first illustrated, first U.S. printing) — a first of that kind, not the first edition of the work.