# Is "Cities of the Red Night" by William S. Burroughs a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Cities of the Red Night by William S. Burroughs (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1981) is identified by: First US edition, cloth in dust jacket; first printing stated by number line/printing statement on the copyright page. Holt, Rinehart and Winston US (1981) is the first American trade edition; John Calder issued the UK edition (1981).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US edition, cloth in dust jacket; first printing stated by number line/printing statement on the copyright page
- A signed limited edition was also issued (slipcased), which is the premium state
- Publisher imprint reads Holt, Rinehart and Winston
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William S. Burroughs |
| Publisher | Holt, Rinehart and Winston |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | First US edition, cloth in dust jacket; first printing stated by number line/printing statement on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First US edition, cloth in dust jacket; first printing stated by number line/printing statement on the copyright page. A signed limited edition was also issued (slipcased), which is the premium state.

## Is this the true first?
Holt, Rinehart and Winston US (1981) is the first American trade edition; John Calder issued the UK edition (1981). A signed/numbered limited exists. Confirm the first-printing statement.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not a book club. Distinguish the trade first (number line/printing statement) from the signed limited; verify imprint for US vs. UK.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Cities of the Red Night* by William S. Burroughs a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/cities-of-the-red-night
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.