# Is "Bring Up the Bodies" by Hilary Mantel a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (Fourth Estate, 2012) is identified by: First UK edition, Fourth Estate, London, 2012. The UK Fourth Estate edition is the true first; the US Henry Holt edition (2012) followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition, Fourth Estate, London, 2012
- Copyright page states first publication in Great Britain in 2012 by Fourth Estate, with the number line descending to 1 on the first printing; original boards and dust jacket
- 2012 Booker Prize winner (Mantel's second; second volume of the Cromwell trilogy)
- A signed limited issue of 1,000 copies, signed on the title page, was also produced
- Publisher imprint reads Fourth Estate
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Hilary Mantel |
| Publisher | Fourth Estate |
| Year | 2012 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition, Fourth Estate, London, 2012 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First UK edition, Fourth Estate, London, 2012. Copyright page states first publication in Great Britain in 2012 by Fourth Estate, with the number line descending to 1 on the first printing; original boards and dust jacket. 2012 Booker Prize winner (Mantel's second; second volume of the Cromwell trilogy). A signed limited issue of 1,000 copies, signed on the title page, was also produced.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Fourth Estate edition is the true first; the US Henry Holt edition (2012) followed. A signed limited UK issue was also produced.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions are stated as such and some carry a Booker prize band; the US Henry Holt edition is US-priced. The first printing is identified by the number line descending to 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Bring Up the Bodies* by Hilary Mantel a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/bring-up-the-bodies
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.