# Is "Glengarry Glen Ross" by David Mamet a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet (Methuen, 1983-1984) is identified by: Methuen, London, published the play in wrappers around the September 1983 Cottesloe/Royal National Theatre premiere, with the title-verso stating first publication in Great Britain and no later-printing line. Precedence favors the UK Methuen edition: the play had its world premiere in London in September 1983 and Methuen published it around that time, ahead of the US premiere in early 1984 and the Grove US edition of 1984.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Methuen, London, published the play in wrappers around the September 1983 Cottesloe/Royal National Theatre premiere, with the title-verso stating first publication in Great Britain and no later-printing line
- Grove Press, New York, issued the US edition in 1984 in hardcover (with dust jacket) and in wrappers; the Grove hardcover is the desirable US state and carries a stated first-edition designation
- Confirm the Grove hardcover by the printer's number line running to 1 on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Methuen
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | David Mamet |
| Publisher | Methuen |
| Year | 1983-1984 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Methuen, London, published the play in wrappers around the September 1983 Cottesloe/Royal National Theatre premiere, with the title-verso… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Methuen, London, published the play in wrappers around the September 1983 Cottesloe/Royal National Theatre premiere, with the title-verso stating first publication in Great Britain and no later-printing line. Grove Press, New York, issued the US edition in 1984 in hardcover (with dust jacket) and in wrappers; the Grove hardcover is the desirable US state and carries a stated first-edition designation. Confirm the Grove hardcover by the printer's number line running to 1 on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
Precedence favors the UK Methuen edition: the play had its world premiere in London in September 1983 and Methuen published it around that time, ahead of the US premiere in early 1984 and the Grove US edition of 1984. Many collectors treat the Methuen London printing as the true first appearance in book form, with the Grove hardcover the preferred US state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Methuen Student Editions and later Modern Plays reissues (with study apparatus and full number lines) are reprints, not firsts. No common book-club state is recorded.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Glengarry Glen Ross* by David Mamet a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/glengarry-glen-ross
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.