# Is "Ever After" by Graham Swift a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ever After by Graham Swift (Picador, 1992) is identified by: UK Picador (London) hardback, first published 7 February 1992: black cloth boards with gilt titling to the spine, decorated endpapers, and the number line running down to 1 on the copyright page. UK Picador hardback (7 February 1992) precedes the US Knopf edition (published later in 1992), making the Picador the true first; the Knopf first American edition is recognizable by its half-cloth binding.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Picador (London) hardback, first published 7 February 1992: black cloth boards with gilt titling to the spine, decorated endpapers, and the number line running down to 1 on the copyright page
- The dust jacket should retain its printed UK price
- The concurrent US Alfred A. Knopf edition is a distinct binding, issued in quarter/half cloth rather than the full black cloth of the Picador first
- Publisher imprint reads Picador
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Swift |
| Publisher | Picador |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Picador (London) hardback, first published 7 February 1992: black cloth boards with gilt titling to the spine, decorated endpapers, and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Picador (London) hardback, first published 7 February 1992: black cloth boards with gilt titling to the spine, decorated endpapers, and the number line running down to 1 on the copyright page. The dust jacket should retain its printed UK price. The concurrent US Alfred A. Knopf edition is a distinct binding, issued in quarter/half cloth rather than the full black cloth of the Picador first.

## Is this the true first?
UK Picador hardback (7 February 1992) precedes the US Knopf edition (published later in 1992), making the Picador the true first; the Knopf first American edition is recognizable by its half-cloth binding.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions are indicated by a shortened number line on the copyright page; book-club copies differ from the trade hardback in binding and jacket, and lack the printed jacket price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ever After* by Graham Swift a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ever-after
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.