# Is "Great Apes" by Will Self a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Great Apes by Will Self (Bloomsbury, 1997) is identified by: First Bloomsbury edition, bound in black cloth with the title stamped in gilt on the spine; collation xii, 404 pages. The UK Bloomsbury edition of 1997 is the true first, preceding the US Grove Press edition (also 1997).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First Bloomsbury edition, bound in black cloth with the title stamped in gilt on the spine; collation xii, 404 pages
- Issued in a priced dust jacket, unclipped with the printed price intact on the flap
- Signed copies are signed by the author on the title page
- Publisher imprint reads Bloomsbury
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Will Self |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First Bloomsbury edition, bound in black cloth with the title stamped in gilt on the spine; collation xii, 404 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First Bloomsbury edition, bound in black cloth with the title stamped in gilt on the spine; collation xii, 404 pages. Issued in a priced dust jacket, unclipped with the printed price intact on the flap. Signed copies are signed by the author on the title page.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Bloomsbury edition of 1997 is the true first, preceding the US Grove Press edition (also 1997).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add an impression statement or drop the 1 from the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Great Apes* by Will Self a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/great-apes
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.