# Is "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Roald Dahl (illus. Joseph Schindelman) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl (illus. Joseph Schindelman) (Alfred A. Knopf, 1964) is identified by: Knopf, 1964 (published September 1964; first printing 10,000 copies). The US Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Alfred A. Knopf, 1964 (published September 1964; first printing 10,000 copies)
- The copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION,' but the decisive first-printing point is the colophon on the last printed page: a genuine first printing has a SIX-line colophon whose final line reads 'Paper manufactured by S. D. Warren Co.'; later printings drop that sentence, leaving a FIVE-line colophon (the 'First Edition' wording can persist, so verify the colophon)
- First-state dust jacket has NO SBN/ISBN on the lower rear panel; price present on the front flap
- Illustrated by Joseph Schindelman
- The original text describes the Oompa-Loompas as African pygmies (revised in 1973 after criticism), so unrevised text supports an early copy
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roald Dahl (illus. Joseph Schindelman) |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | US Alfred A. Knopf, 1964 (published September 1964; first printing 10,000 copies) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Alfred A. Knopf, 1964 (published September 1964; first printing 10,000 copies). The copyright page states 'FIRST EDITION,' but the decisive first-printing point is the colophon on the last printed page: a genuine first printing has a SIX-line colophon whose final line reads 'Paper manufactured by S. D. Warren Co.'; later printings drop that sentence, leaving a FIVE-line colophon (the 'First Edition' wording can persist, so verify the colophon). First-state dust jacket has NO SBN/ISBN on the lower rear panel; price present on the front flap. Illustrated by Joseph Schindelman. The original text describes the Oompa-Loompas as African pygmies (revised in 1973 after criticism), so unrevised text supports an early copy.

## Is this the true first?
The US Alfred A. Knopf edition (1964) is the true first, preceding the UK George Allen & Unwin edition (1967, illustrated by Faith Jaques, issued without a jacket) by three years. Identify the first printing by the six-line colophon ('Paper manufactured by S. D. Warren Co.') on the last page and the SBN-less first-state jacket, not by the 'First Edition' statement alone.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Any copy with a FIVE-line colophon (the 'S. D. Warren' line dropped) is a reprint, even if the copyright page still reads 'First Edition.' A jacket bearing an SBN/ISBN on the rear panel is a later state. Book-club editions lack the jacket price and use cheaper paper. Many post-1973 printings carry the revised Oompa-Loompa text; the UK line uses Faith Jaques's illustrations rather than Schindelman's.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Charlie and the Chocolate Factory* by Roald Dahl (illus. Joseph Schindelman) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/charlie-and-the-chocolate-factory
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.