# Is "Devil of a State" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Devil of a State by Anthony Burgess (William Heinemann, 1961) is identified by: First printing, an octavo of 282 pages in red cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, issued in the pictorial dust jacket. UK Heinemann (1961) is the true first; US W.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing, an octavo of 282 pages in red cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, issued in the pictorial dust jacket
- UK Heinemann 1961 precedes the US Norton edition of 1962; the US issue is bound in beige quarter cloth over blue boards with red and blue spine lettering, in a Larry Lubin jacket bearing a line drawing of a wicker chair, fern, and pith helmet
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing, an octavo of 282 pages in red cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, issued in the pictorial dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing, an octavo of 282 pages in red cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, issued in the pictorial dust jacket. UK Heinemann 1961 precedes the US Norton edition of 1962; the US issue is bound in beige quarter cloth over blue boards with red and blue spine lettering, in a Larry Lubin jacket bearing a line drawing of a wicker chair, fern, and pith helmet.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann (1961) is the true first; US W. W. Norton followed in 1962.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Devil of a State* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/devil-of-a-state
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.