The points of issue
Trade first: Chatto & Windus 1932 in blue cloth, dust jacket priced 7s 6d. A signed/limited issue of 324 copies on hand-made paper, signed by Huxley, in slipcase, was printed concurrently.
Is this the true first?
The 324-copy signed limited (Chatto & Windus, 1932) precedes/accompanies the trade as the deluxe state and is the apex. UK trade is the true first; US (Doubleday, Doran, 1932) follows.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US and book-club copies are not the UK first; book-club editions are blind-stamped and unpriced.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Brave New World a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Trade first: Chatto & Windus 1932 in blue cloth, dust jacket priced 7s 6d. A signed/limited issue of 324 copies on hand-made paper, signed by Huxley, in slipcase, was printed concurrently.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The 324-copy signed limited (Chatto & Windus, 1932) precedes/accompanies the trade as the deluxe state and is the apex. UK trade is the true first; US (Doubleday, Doran, 1932) follows.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
US and book-club copies are not the UK first; book-club editions are blind-stamped and unpriced.
I have a first edition of Brave New World — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.