# Is "English Music" by Peter Ackroyd a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of English Music by Peter Ackroyd (Hamish Hamilton, 1992) is identified by: UK Hamish Hamilton, London, 1992 (ISBN 0-241-13257-6), hardcover in boards with a gilt-stamped spine, in a dust jacket with the printed price present on the flap. The UK Hamish Hamilton edition of 1992 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Hamish Hamilton, London, 1992 (ISBN 0-241-13257-6), hardcover in boards with a gilt-stamped spine, in a dust jacket with the printed price present on the flap
- The first impression shows a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; published 28 May 1992
- Publisher imprint reads Hamish Hamilton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Ackroyd |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Hamish Hamilton, London, 1992 (ISBN 0-241-13257-6), hardcover in boards with a gilt-stamped spine, in a dust jacket with the printed… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
UK Hamish Hamilton, London, 1992 (ISBN 0-241-13257-6), hardcover in boards with a gilt-stamped spine, in a dust jacket with the printed price present on the flap. The first impression shows a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; published 28 May 1992.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Hamish Hamilton edition of 1992 is the true first. The US Knopf edition of 1992 states on its title-page verso that it was 'Originally published in Great Britain by Hamish Hamilton,' confirming UK precedence. A Franklin Library full-leather limited edition of 1992 is a separate special issue, not the trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions break the number line; the Franklin Library full-leather binding is a distinct collector issue rather than the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *English Music* by Peter Ackroyd a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/english-music
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.