# Is "Cain" by José Saramago a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Cain by José Saramago (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011) is identified by: First English-language edition, 2011, translated by Margaret Jull Costa. First edition in English of Caim (Lisbon, Editorial Caminho, 2009).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First English-language edition, 2011, translated by Margaret Jull Costa
- US issued by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- UK by Harvill Secker the same year
- HMH first states First edition with a full number line
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | José Saramago |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt |
| Year | 2011 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First English-language edition, 2011, translated by Margaret Jull Costa |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First English-language edition, 2011, translated by Margaret Jull Costa. US issued by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; UK by Harvill Secker the same year. HMH first states First edition with a full number line.

## Is this the true first?
First edition in English of Caim (Lisbon, Editorial Caminho, 2009). Saramago's final novel, completed before his death in 2010.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Cain* by José Saramago a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/cain
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.