The points of issue
First English-language edition, Heinemann Educational Books, African Writers Series number 200, London, 1982, translated from the Gikuyu by the author himself. Issued in wrappers bearing the series number. The novel was composed in Gikuyu while the author was imprisoned and is among the first modern novels written in that language.
Is this the true first?
Heinemann London 1982 is the first English-language edition, in the author's own translation. The Gikuyu original, Caitaani Mutharaba-Ini, appeared in 1980. As the English-language first it is a 'first thus' relative to the Gikuyu original.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Heinemann and Penguin paperbacks are reprints relative to the 1982 first English-language edition.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Devil on the Cross (Caitaani Mutharaba-Ini) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First English-language edition, Heinemann Educational Books, African Writers Series number 200, London, 1982, translated from the Gikuyu by the author himself. Issued in wrappers bearing the series number. The novel was composed in Gikuyu while the author was imprisoned and is among the first modern novels written in that language.
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. Heinemann London 1982 is the first English-language edition, in the author's own translation. The Gikuyu original, Caitaani Mutharaba-Ini, appeared in 1980. As the English-language first it is a 'first thus' relative to the Gikuyu original.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Heinemann and Penguin paperbacks are reprints relative to the 1982 first English-language edition.
I have a first edition of Devil on the Cross (Caitaani Mutharaba-Ini) — 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.