# Is "For You" by Ian McEwan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of For You by Ian McEwan (Vintage, 2008) is identified by: Opera libretto for Michael Berkeley's opera; Vintage paperback original (ISBN 9780099526995). Both forms are Vintage 2008.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Opera libretto for Michael Berkeley's opera
- Vintage paperback original (ISBN 9780099526995)
- Issued in 2008 in two forms: a signed/numbered limited issue of 1000 copies (signed by McEwan and Berkeley on the title page) and the ordinary trade paperback
- A minor title in the McEwan canon
- Publisher imprint reads Vintage
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ian McEwan |
| Publisher | Vintage |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Opera libretto for Michael Berkeley's opera |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Opera libretto for Michael Berkeley's opera; Vintage paperback original (ISBN 9780099526995). Issued in 2008 in two forms: a signed/numbered limited issue of 1000 copies (signed by McEwan and Berkeley on the title page) and the ordinary trade paperback. A minor title in the McEwan canon.

## Is this the true first?
Both forms are Vintage 2008. The signed/numbered limited issue of 1000 copies is the precedence point and ranks ahead of the ordinary trade paperback.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *For You* by Ian McEwan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/for-you
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.