The points of issue
Faber and Faber, London, first edition, 1966, with the 'first published in 1966' statement and no later-impression line; bound in green cloth, lettered gilt on the spine, in the salmon-and-white dust jacket lettered in black (rear panel listing Faber poets such as Auden, Eliot, Hughes, Larkin, Lowell, MacNeice and Spender). Heaney's debut collection and the most collected of his books. Add only if the live entry lacks these Faber-specific points; otherwise treat as deeper precedence data.
Is this the true first?
The Faber UK edition is the true first. The US Oxford University Press edition (also 1966) was made up of the UK sheets with a new American title page, in roughly one thousand copies, so it follows the Faber printing rather than competing with it. Brandes and Durkan is the standard bibliographic authority (A2a).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. The crux is the priced Faber first impression (green cloth, salmon-and-white jacket, no impression line) versus later Faber printings that add a printing statement, and versus the US Oxford issue printed from the same sheets.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Death of a Naturalist (UK true-first note distinct from existing entry) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Faber and Faber, London, first edition, 1966, with the 'first published in 1966' statement and no later-impression line; bound in green cloth, lettered gilt on the spine, in the salmon-and-white dust jacket lettered in black (rear panel listing Faber poets such as Auden, Eliot, Hughes, Larkin, Lowell, MacNeice and Spender). Heaney's debut collection and the most collected of his books. Add only if the live entry lacks these Faber-specific points; otherwise treat as deeper precedence data.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The Faber UK edition is the true first. The US Oxford University Press edition (also 1966) was made up of the UK sheets with a new American title page, in roughly one thousand copies, so it follows the Faber printing rather than competing with it. Brandes and Durkan is the standard bibliographic aut
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. The crux is the priced Faber first impression (green cloth, salmon-and-white jacket, no impression line) versus later Faber printings that add a printing statement, and versus the US Oxford issue printed from the same sheets.
I have a first edition of Death of a Naturalist (UK true-first note distinct from existing entry) — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.