# Is "Ghostwritten: A Novel in Nine Parts" by David Mitchell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ghostwritten: A Novel in Nine Parts by David Mitchell (Sceptre, 1999) is identified by: Issued by Sceptre in stiff pictorial card wraps as a trade-paperback original; no UK hardcover was published, so the wraps are the first form of the book. The UK Sceptre trade-paperback original (1999) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued by Sceptre in stiff pictorial card wraps as a trade-paperback original; no UK hardcover was published, so the wraps are the first form of the book
- A number line including 1 on the copyright page confirms the first printing; the printed cover price should be present
- Mitchell's debut novel; signed copies are sought
- Publisher imprint reads Sceptre
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | David Mitchell |
| Publisher | Sceptre |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued by Sceptre in stiff pictorial card wraps as a trade-paperback original; no UK hardcover was published, so the wraps are the first… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Issued by Sceptre in stiff pictorial card wraps as a trade-paperback original; no UK hardcover was published, so the wraps are the first form of the book. A number line including 1 on the copyright page confirms the first printing; the printed cover price should be present. Mitchell's debut novel; signed copies are sought.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Sceptre trade-paperback original (1999) is the true first. A US Random House hardcover also appeared in 1999 but does not precede the UK issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The US Random House first hardcover follows the UK wraps original; per common US house convention its number line may begin at a higher digit rather than 1, whereas the UK Sceptre first printing carries a number line including 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ghostwritten: A Novel in Nine Parts* by David Mitchell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ghostwritten-a-novel-in-nine-parts
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.