# Is "Camino Real" by Tennessee Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Camino Real by Tennessee Williams (New Directions, 1953) is identified by: Tan/khaki cloth lettered in black on the spine, in a dust jacket designed by Alvin Lustig. US New Directions is the true first; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed in 1958.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New Directions, 1953
- Tan/khaki cloth lettered in black on the spine, in a dust jacket designed by Alvin Lustig
- Includes Williams's Foreword and Afterword
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tennessee Williams |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1953 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New Directions, 1953 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New Directions, 1953. Tan/khaki cloth lettered in black on the spine, in a dust jacket designed by Alvin Lustig. Includes Williams's Foreword and Afterword.

## Is this the true first?
US New Directions is the true first; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed in 1958.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No early book-club edition. Later printings exist within the first-edition binding and are stated on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Camino Real* by Tennessee Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/camino-real
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.