# Is "Darkness Visible" by William Golding a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Darkness Visible by William Golding (Faber & Faber, 1979) is identified by: True first is the Faber & Faber (London) 1979 edition, catalogued Gekoski & Grogan A12a. UK Faber & Faber (London) 1979 is the true first edition; the Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New York) 1979 printing is the first American edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the Faber & Faber (London) 1979 edition, catalogued Gekoski & Grogan A12a
- The first printing is identified by the copyright page reading 'First published in 1979' with no further impression line beneath it; it is bound in burgundy (maroon) cloth with gilt spine lettering and issued in a pictorial dust jacket with the price present at the flap
- The jacket spine is commonly sun-faded and the text block is usually age-toned
- Later Faber impressions add printing statements below the 'First published' line
- Publisher imprint reads Faber & Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Golding |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the Faber & Faber (London) 1979 edition, catalogued Gekoski & Grogan A12a |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is the Faber & Faber (London) 1979 edition, catalogued Gekoski & Grogan A12a. The first printing is identified by the copyright page reading 'First published in 1979' with no further impression line beneath it; it is bound in burgundy (maroon) cloth with gilt spine lettering and issued in a pictorial dust jacket with the price present at the flap. The jacket spine is commonly sun-faded and the text block is usually age-toned. Later Faber impressions add printing statements below the 'First published' line.

## Is this the true first?
UK Faber & Faber (London) 1979 is the true first edition; the Farrar, Straus & Giroux (New York) 1979 printing is the first American edition. Both are collected, but the Faber issue takes precedence (designated A12a in the Gekoski & Grogan Golding bibliography, whose A-sequence records the British firsts).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The US FSG 1979 is the first American trade edition, not a book-club issue; later Faber impressions carry additional printing statements on the verso, distinguishing them from the un-noted first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Darkness Visible* by William Golding a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/darkness-visible
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.