# Is "Disgrace" by J.M. Coetzee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee (Secker & Warburg, 1999) is identified by: Secker & Warburg (London), 1999 is the true first edition (Booker Prize winner, awarded Oct 1999). Secker & Warburg London 1999 is the true first; Viking New York 1999 is the first US.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Secker & Warburg (London), 1999 is the true first edition (Booker Prize winner, awarded Oct 1999)
- Points of issue for the first edition, first printing, FIRST STATE:
- Printed by Biddles Ltd — NOT Clays
- This is the critical discriminator
- Number line present, full 1-10 / ending in "1"
- CAUTION: a "1" in the number line alone does NOT confirm a true first — later second-state copies were printed by Clays yet still carry a number line ending in "1." So the number-line point as originally stated ("first printing number line ending in 1") is necessary but NOT sufficient and is potentially misleading on its own; it must be paired with the Biddles printer credit
- Publisher imprint reads Secker & Warburg

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J.M. Coetzee |
| Publisher | Secker & Warburg |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Secker & Warburg (London), 1999 is the true first edition (Booker Prize winner, awarded Oct 1999) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Secker & Warburg (London), 1999 is the true first edition (Booker Prize winner, awarded Oct 1999). Points of issue for the first edition, first printing, FIRST STATE: (1) Printed by Biddles Ltd — NOT Clays. This is the critical discriminator. (2) Number line present, full 1-10 / ending in "1". CAUTION: a "1" in the number line alone does NOT confirm a true first — later second-state copies were printed by Clays yet still carry a number line ending in "1." So the number-line point as originally stated ("first printing number line ending in 1") is necessary but NOT sufficient and is potentially misleading on its own; it must be paired with the Biddles printer credit. (3) First-STATE dust jacket has NO "Winner of The Booker Prize 1999" legend on the front panel (the book was printed before the prize was announced); second-state jackets add the Booker banner. (4) Dust jacket with its printed price (unclipped) — CONFIRMED. (5) Bound in publisher's boards (cloth-covered boards) with burgundy/maroon endpapers — the "publisher's boards" claim is consistent with dealer descriptions. Jacket photograph by Lucy Harmer.

## Is this the true first?
Secker & Warburg London 1999 is the true first; Viking New York 1999 is the first US.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions shown by number line; US edition distinguished by imprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Disgrace* by J.M. Coetzee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/disgrace
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.