# Is "Dorian: An Imitation" by Will Self a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Dorian: An Imitation by Will Self (Viking, 2002) is identified by: First edition, first printing, published by Viking in London in 2002, ISBN 0-670-88996-2 (9780670889969). The UK Viking edition of 2002 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing, published by Viking in London in 2002, ISBN 0-670-88996-2
- Issued in hardcover boards with a gilt-lettered spine and a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the front flap
- The subtitle An Imitation signals the book's play on Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray
- As with other Viking/Penguin hardcovers of the period, the first printing carries the lowest number in the printer's key; a higher lowest digit indicates a later impression
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Will Self |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 2002 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing, published by Viking in London in 2002, ISBN 0-670-88996-2 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing, published by Viking in London in 2002, ISBN 0-670-88996-2 (9780670889969). Issued in hardcover boards with a gilt-lettered spine and a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the front flap. The subtitle An Imitation signals the book's play on Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. As with other Viking/Penguin hardcovers of the period, the first printing carries the lowest number in the printer's key; a higher lowest digit indicates a later impression.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Viking edition of 2002 is the true first. The US Grove Press edition, also dated 2002, is stated as the First American Edition; the two appeared the same year but Viking precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are identified by the lowest number in the line being higher than 1. No separate UK book-club issue is a factor for the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Dorian: An Imitation* by Will Self a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/dorian-an-imitation
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.