The points of issue
Two 1986 editions exist and priority is contested. The South African edition - Ravan Press, Johannesburg, 1986 (dark brown cloth, gilt-stamped spine, dust jacket, about 157 pages) - is identified by many specialist dealers as the true first edition. The UK trade edition (Secker & Warburg, London, 1986) appeared the same year: brown boards/cloth-backed boards with gilt spine lettering, green top-stain as issued, octavo, about 157-160 pages, pictorial dust jacket priced in sterling and unclipped on first issue. Standard bibliographies list the title as London: Secker & Warburg, 1986; Johannesburg: Ravan, 1986; New York: Viking, 1987. Both 1986 editions precede the US Viking edition of 1987.
Is this the true first?
Priority is contested between two 1986 editions; many specialists give the South African Ravan Press 1986 edition priority as the true first over the UK Secker & Warburg 1986. The US Viking edition is 1987 and later. A reworking of Robinson Crusoe.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No club edition; risks are the later US Viking 1987 printing offered as a first, and assuming UK Secker is automatically the true first when the Ravan SA 1986 has a strong claim to priority.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Foe a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Two 1986 editions exist and priority is contested. The South African edition - Ravan Press, Johannesburg, 1986 (dark brown cloth, gilt-stamped spine, dust jacket, about 157 pages) - is identified by many specialist dealers as the true first edition. The UK trade edition (Secker & Warburg, London, 1986) appeared the same year: brown boards/cloth-backed boards with gilt spine lettering, green top-stain as issued, octavo, about 157-160 pages, pictorial dust jacket priced in sterling and unclipped on first issue. Standard bibliographies list the title as London
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. Priority is contested between two 1986 editions; many specialists give the South African Ravan Press 1986 edition priority as the true first over the UK Secker & Warburg 1986. The US Viking edition is 1987 and later. A reworking of Robinson Crusoe.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No club edition; risks are the later US Viking 1987 printing offered as a first, and assuming UK Secker is automatically the true first when the Ravan SA 1986 has a strong claim to priority.
I have a first edition of Foe — 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.