# Is "British Dramatists" by Graham Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of British Dramatists by Graham Greene (William Collins, 1942) is identified by: William Collins, London, 1942, first printing in the 'Britain in Pictures' series. The UK Collins first, published within the Britain in Pictures series, is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- William Collins, London, 1942, first printing in the 'Britain in Pictures' series
- Slim octavo (roughly 9 by 6.5 inches), 48 pages, illustrated with 8 colour plates and numerous monochrome illustrations in the text
- Bound in publisher's paper-covered boards in green and cream, issued in a pictorial dust jacket
- As a wartime pictorial series title it bears no printer's number line; the first printing is identified by the 1942 imprint and the absence of any later-reprint statement
- Publisher imprint reads William Collins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Greene |
| Publisher | William Collins |
| Year | 1942 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | William Collins, London, 1942, first printing in the 'Britain in Pictures' series |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
William Collins, London, 1942, first printing in the 'Britain in Pictures' series. Slim octavo (roughly 9 by 6.5 inches), 48 pages, illustrated with 8 colour plates and numerous monochrome illustrations in the text. Bound in publisher's paper-covered boards in green and cream, issued in a pictorial dust jacket. As a wartime pictorial series title it bears no printer's number line; the first printing is identified by the 1942 imprint and the absence of any later-reprint statement.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Collins first, published within the Britain in Pictures series, is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A series title with no book-club issue; later Collins reprints within the series are distinguished by a changed impression date on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *British Dramatists* by Graham Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/british-dramatists
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.