# Is "Briefing for a Descent into Hell" by Doris Lessing a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Briefing for a Descent into Hell by Doris Lessing (Jonathan Cape, 1971) is identified by: First published in 1971 by Jonathan Cape, London, in a crown octavo bound in dark brown boards with the backstrip lettered in gilt. The UK Cape edition (1971) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published in 1971 by Jonathan Cape, London, in a crown octavo bound in dark brown boards with the backstrip lettered in gilt
- The dust jacket was designed by Alan Tunbridge, with a black spine and contrasting lettering; a first-state jacket retains its printed price and should be unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Doris Lessing |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published in 1971 by Jonathan Cape, London, in a crown octavo bound in dark brown boards with the backstrip lettered in gilt |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First published in 1971 by Jonathan Cape, London, in a crown octavo bound in dark brown boards with the backstrip lettered in gilt. The dust jacket was designed by Alan Tunbridge, with a black spine and contrasting lettering; a first-state jacket retains its printed price and should be unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Cape edition (1971) is the true first. The US Knopf edition appeared the same year and is the first American edition; the UK edition is conventionally regarded as preceding it. The novel was shortlisted for the 1971 Booker Prize.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Briefing for a Descent into Hell* by Doris Lessing a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/briefing-for-a-descent-into-hell
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.