The points of issue
True first English edition: Gitanjali (Song Offerings), The India Society, London, 1912, printed at the Chiswick Press. A limited edition of 750 copies (of which 250 were for sale), the limitation so stated on the verso of the title page, with W. B. Yeats's introduction dated September 1912. Published November 1912, preceding the 1913 Macmillan trade edition.
Is this the true first?
The original Bengali Gitanjali (1910, Calcutta) is the Bengali first, but the Nobel-relevant and most-collected English true first is the 1912 India Society limited edition (the text associated with the 1913 Nobel). The 1913 Macmillan is the trade first thus.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The common Macmillan editions (1913 onward) are NOT the limited India Society true first; the India Society issue is limited to 750 copies and so stated on the title-page verso. The Bengali original is a separate collectible.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Gitanjali a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first English edition: Gitanjali (Song Offerings), The India Society, London, 1912, printed at the Chiswick Press. A limited edition of 750 copies (of which 250 were for sale), the limitation so stated on the verso of the title page, with W. B. Yeats's introduction dated September 1912. Published November 1912, preceding the 1913 Macmillan trade edition.
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. The original Bengali Gitanjali (1910, Calcutta) is the Bengali first, but the Nobel-relevant and most-collected English true first is the 1912 India Society limited edition (the text associated with the 1913 Nobel). The 1913 Macmillan is the trade first thus.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The common Macmillan editions (1913 onward) are NOT the limited India Society true first; the India Society issue is limited to 750 copies and so stated on the title-page verso. The Bengali original is a separate collectible.
I have a first edition of Gitanjali — 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.