The points of issue
Faber and Faber first edition, 'first published in 1979' so stated on the copyright page, with no later printing line. Issued simultaneously in cloth boards with a priced dust jacket and in stiff card wrappers; the casebound copy in jacket is the collector's first. Contains the Glanmore Sonnets and the Lowell elegy. Catalogued Brandes and Durkan A20a (boards) and A20b (wrappers).
Is this the true first?
UK Faber is the true first; the US Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition followed in 1979. For a true first, seek the Faber casebound copy in jacket.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Later Faber printings add a printing statement; the wrappered issue is a simultaneous form, not a later state.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Field Work a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Faber and Faber first edition, 'first published in 1979' so stated on the copyright page, with no later printing line. Issued simultaneously in cloth boards with a priced dust jacket and in stiff card wrappers; the casebound copy in jacket is the collector's first. Contains the Glanmore Sonnets and the Lowell elegy. Catalogued Brandes and Durkan A20a (boards) and A20b (wrappers).
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. UK Faber is the true first; the US Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition followed in 1979. For a true first, seek the Faber casebound copy in jacket.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. Later Faber printings add a printing statement; the wrappered issue is a simultaneous form, not a later state.
I have a first edition of Field Work — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.