# Is "First Light" by Peter Ackroyd a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of First Light by Peter Ackroyd (Hamish Hamilton, 1989) is identified by: Hardcover in publisher's cloth-covered boards with gilt spine, in dust jacket with the price present on the flap. The UK Hamish Hamilton edition of 1989 is the true first, preceding the US Grove Weidenfeld edition of 1989.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Hardcover in publisher's cloth-covered boards with gilt spine, in dust jacket with the price present on the flap
- The first impression shows a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Hamish Hamilton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Ackroyd |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Hardcover in publisher's cloth-covered boards with gilt spine, in dust jacket with the price present on the flap |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Hardcover in publisher's cloth-covered boards with gilt spine, in dust jacket with the price present on the flap. The first impression shows a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Hamish Hamilton edition of 1989 is the true first, preceding the US Grove Weidenfeld edition of 1989.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions break the number line or state a higher impression.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *First Light* by Peter Ackroyd a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/first-light
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.