# Is "Dragonwyck" by Anya Seton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Dragonwyck by Anya Seton (Houghton Mifflin, 1944) is identified by: Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1944 first edition; an early gothic-romance landmark and the basis of the 1946 film. US Houghton Mifflin 1944 is the true first; the UK edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1944 first edition; an early gothic-romance landmark and the basis of the 1946 film
- First printing per Houghton Mifflin's copyright-page convention (no added-printing statements), in rose-orange/red cloth with titling stamped in burgundy/maroon on spine and front cover; deckled pages with a red-tinted top edge
- The first-issue jacket carries a synopsis on the front flap, an advertisement for the author's earlier novel My Theodosia on the rear flap, and an author biography on the rear panel
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anya Seton |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1944 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1944 first edition; an early gothic-romance landmark and the basis of the 1946 film |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1944 first edition; an early gothic-romance landmark and the basis of the 1946 film. First printing per Houghton Mifflin's copyright-page convention (no added-printing statements), in rose-orange/red cloth with titling stamped in burgundy/maroon on spine and front cover; deckled pages with a red-tinted top edge. The first-issue jacket carries a synopsis on the front flap, an advertisement for the author's earlier novel My Theodosia on the rear flap, and an author biography on the rear panel.

## Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin 1944 is the true first; the UK edition follows. This was Seton's second novel, not her debut — her first was My Theodosia (1941).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Wartime book-club and later reprints are common; a blind-stamp to the rear board and an unpriced jacket indicate club or later issues.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Dragonwyck* by Anya Seton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/dragonwyck
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.