# Is "East, West" by Salman Rushdie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of East, West by Salman Rushdie (Jonathan Cape, 1994) is identified by: Story collection of nine tales. The UK Jonathan Cape edition of 1994 precedes the US Pantheon edition of 1995, making the Cape printing the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Story collection of nine tales
- Hardback in boards with gilt-lettered spine, issued in dust jacket
- First edition, first impression has the full number line ending in 1; the jacket carries a net price
- Later printings state the impression
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Salman Rushdie |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Story collection of nine tales |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Story collection of nine tales. Hardback in boards with gilt-lettered spine, issued in dust jacket. First edition, first impression has the full number line ending in 1; the jacket carries a net price. Later printings state the impression.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Jonathan Cape edition of 1994 precedes the US Pantheon edition of 1995, making the Cape printing the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later trade impressions identify the later impression on the copyright page; the true first carries the complete number line down to 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *East, West* by Salman Rushdie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/east-west
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.