# Is "Catalina" by W. Somerset Maugham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Catalina by W. Somerset Maugham (William Heinemann, 1948) is identified by: First edition of Maugham's last novel, William Heinemann, London, 1948 (256 pp.; Stott A67a), bound in red cloth lettered in silver on front and spine. UK Heinemann is the true first, issued roughly two months before the US Doubleday edition of 1948 (vii, 275 pp.).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition of Maugham's last novel, William Heinemann, London, 1948 (256 pp.; Stott A67a), bound in red cloth lettered in silver on front and spine
- The dust jacket was illustrated by Gordon Nicoll and carries the printed price on the flap (unclipped)
- A second impression followed later the same year, so first-state binding and the absence of any reprint notice are the key points
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. Somerset Maugham |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1948 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition of Maugham's last novel, William Heinemann, London, 1948 (256 pp.; Stott A67a), bound in red cloth lettered in silver on… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition of Maugham's last novel, William Heinemann, London, 1948 (256 pp.; Stott A67a), bound in red cloth lettered in silver on front and spine. The dust jacket was illustrated by Gordon Nicoll and carries the printed price on the flap (unclipped). A second impression followed later the same year, so first-state binding and the absence of any reprint notice are the key points.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann is the true first, issued roughly two months before the US Doubleday edition of 1948 (vii, 275 pp.).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue noted for the first appearance.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Catalina* by W. Somerset Maugham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/catalina
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.