# Is "Danny, the Champion of the World" by Roald Dahl (illus. Jill Bennett) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Danny, the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl (illus. Jill Bennett) (Jonathan Cape, 1975) is identified by: True first is the 1975 Jonathan Cape edition illustrated by Jill Bennett (not the later Quentin Blake reissue), with the copyright page stating 'First published in Great Britain 1975' and no later-printing line; publisher's terracotta (orange) cloth boards with gilt spine lettering, in the first-issue Bennett wraparound pictorial dust jacket with the original printed UK price to the front flap. UK Jonathan Cape 1975 with Jill Bennett art is the true first; the US Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the 1975 Jonathan Cape edition illustrated by Jill Bennett (not the later Quentin Blake reissue), with the copyright page stating 'First published in Great Britain 1975' and no later-printing line; publisher's terracotta (orange) cloth boards with gilt spine lettering, in the first-issue Bennett wraparound pictorial dust jacket with the original printed UK price to the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roald Dahl (illus. Jill Bennett) |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1975 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | True first is the 1975 Jonathan Cape edition illustrated by Jill Bennett (not the later Quentin Blake reissue), with the copyright page… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is the 1975 Jonathan Cape edition illustrated by Jill Bennett (not the later Quentin Blake reissue), with the copyright page stating 'First published in Great Britain 1975' and no later-printing line; publisher's terracotta (orange) cloth boards with gilt spine lettering, in the first-issue Bennett wraparound pictorial dust jacket with the original printed UK price to the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
UK Jonathan Cape 1975 with Jill Bennett art is the true first; the US Alfred A. Knopf edition (also 1975, same Bennett illustrations) is a separate issue, and the later Quentin Blake-illustrated printings are reissues only.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Quentin Blake-illustrated copies are later reissues; book-club copies of the original typically carry a blind-stamp and lack the printed jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Danny, the Champion of the World* by Roald Dahl (illus. Jill Bennett) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/danny-the-champion-of-the-world
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.