# Is "Christopher and His Kind" by Christopher Isherwood a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Christopher and His Kind by Christopher Isherwood (Sylvester & Orphanos, 1976) is identified by: The true first printing is the signed limited edition of 130 copies issued by Sylvester & Orphanos in 1976 (100 numbered, 26 lettered, 4 with the recipient's printed name), with endpapers and a frontispiece portrait by Don Bachardy. True first is the Sylvester & Orphanos limited edition (1976).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first printing is the signed limited edition of 130 copies issued by Sylvester & Orphanos in 1976 (100 numbered, 26 lettered, 4 with the recipient's printed name), with endpapers and a frontispiece portrait by Don Bachardy
- This precedes the Farrar, Straus & Giroux trade edition, which is the first trade printing for general readers
- The UK edition followed from Eyre Methuen in 1977
- Publisher imprint reads Sylvester & Orphanos
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Christopher Isherwood |
| Publisher | Sylvester & Orphanos |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first printing is the signed limited edition of 130 copies issued by Sylvester & Orphanos in 1976 (100 numbered, 26 lettered, 4… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The true first printing is the signed limited edition of 130 copies issued by Sylvester & Orphanos in 1976 (100 numbered, 26 lettered, 4 with the recipient's printed name), with endpapers and a frontispiece portrait by Don Bachardy. This precedes the Farrar, Straus & Giroux trade edition, which is the first trade printing for general readers. The UK edition followed from Eyre Methuen in 1977.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the Sylvester & Orphanos limited edition (1976). The Farrar, Straus & Giroux printing is the first trade edition; UK Eyre Methuen 1977 follows both.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue. Note the limited/trade distinction: the FSG trade printing is not the true first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Christopher and His Kind* by Christopher Isherwood a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/christopher-and-his-kind
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.