# Is "Coming Up for Air" by George Orwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Coming Up for Air by George Orwell (Victor Gollancz, 1939) is identified by: First edition, published 12 June 1939 in publisher's green cloth lettered to the spine, with its printed price The first impression of 2,000 copies was followed later in June by a further printing with minor slipped type. UK Gollancz June 1939 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, published 12 June 1939 in publisher's green cloth lettered to the spine, with its printed price The first impression of 2,000 copies was followed later in June by a further printing with minor slipped type
- Orwell's last novel under the Gollancz imprint
- Publisher imprint reads Victor Gollancz
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Orwell |
| Publisher | Victor Gollancz |
| Year | 1939 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, published 12 June 1939 in publisher's green cloth lettered to the spine, with its printed price The first impression of… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, published 12 June 1939 in publisher's green cloth lettered to the spine, with its printed price The first impression of 2,000 copies was followed later in June by a further printing with minor slipped type. Orwell's last novel under the Gollancz imprint.

## Is this the true first?
UK Gollancz June 1939 is the true first. The first US edition did not appear until 1950 (Harcourt, Brace).

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Coming Up for Air* by George Orwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/coming-up-for-air
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.