# Is "Chatterton" by Peter Ackroyd a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Chatterton by Peter Ackroyd (Hamish Hamilton, 1987) is identified by: Hardcover in boards with gilt spine lettering, in pictorial dust jacket with the price present on the jacket flap. The UK Hamish Hamilton edition of 1987 is the true first, preceding the US Grove Press edition of 1988.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Hardcover in boards with gilt spine lettering, in pictorial dust jacket with the price present on the jacket flap
- The Hamish Hamilton first impression carries a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Booker Prize shortlisted
- Publisher imprint reads Hamish Hamilton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Ackroyd |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Hardcover in boards with gilt spine lettering, in pictorial dust jacket with the price present on the jacket flap |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Hardcover in boards with gilt spine lettering, in pictorial dust jacket with the price present on the jacket flap. The Hamish Hamilton first impression carries a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Booker Prize shortlisted.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Hamish Hamilton edition of 1987 is the true first, preceding the US Grove Press edition of 1988.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions break the number line (lowest digit no longer 1) or otherwise note the impression; book-club issues lack the price and jacket points.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Chatterton* by Peter Ackroyd a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/chatterton
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.