# Is "Death with Interruptions" by José Saramago a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Death with Interruptions by José Saramago (Harcourt, 2008) is identified by: First English-language edition, 2008, translated by Margaret Jull Costa. First edition in English of As Intermitências da Morte (Lisbon, Editorial Caminho, 2005).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First English-language edition, 2008, translated by Margaret Jull Costa
- Issued the US as Death with Interruptions by Harcourt and in the UK as Death at Intervals by Harvill Secker; the two firsts are near-simultaneous
- Harcourt first states First edition with a full number line
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | José Saramago |
| Publisher | Harcourt |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First English-language edition, 2008, translated by Margaret Jull Costa |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First English-language edition, 2008, translated by Margaret Jull Costa. Issued the US as Death with Interruptions by Harcourt and in the UK as Death at Intervals by Harvill Secker; the two firsts are near-simultaneous. Harcourt first states First edition with a full number line.

## Is this the true first?
First edition in English of As Intermitências da Morte (Lisbon, Editorial Caminho, 2005). The UK Harvill Secker printing uses the alternate title Death at Intervals.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Death with Interruptions* by José Saramago a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/death-with-interruptions
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.