# Is "Fences" by August Wilson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Fences by August Wilson (Plume, 1986) is identified by: First edition is the Plume trade-paperback original, 1986 (New American Library / Dutton), with an introduction by Lloyd Richards. The Plume wrappers original is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition is the Plume trade-paperback original, 1986 (New American Library / Dutton), with an introduction by Lloyd Richards
- There is no trade hardcover first edition
- The first printing is identified by the lowest number in the printing line and the absence of any later-printing statement
- Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award
- Publisher imprint reads Plume
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | August Wilson |
| Publisher | Plume |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition is the Plume trade-paperback original, 1986 (New American Library / Dutton), with an introduction by Lloyd Richards |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition is the Plume trade-paperback original, 1986 (New American Library / Dutton), with an introduction by Lloyd Richards. There is no trade hardcover first edition. The first printing is identified by the lowest number in the printing line and the absence of any later-printing statement. Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award.

## Is this the true first?
The Plume wrappers original is the true first edition. A hardcover exists, but it is a Book-of-the-Month / book-club issue that followed the paperback original and is not the first edition; the paperback original has precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club hardcover is sometimes mistaken for a 'first.' It is identified by a blind-stamp or dot on the rear board and the absence of a priced trade dust jacket, and it postdates the paperback original. The true first is the Plume wrappers with the first-printing number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Fences* by August Wilson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/fences
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.