# Is "Guards! Guards!" by Terry Pratchett a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett (Victor Gollancz, 1989) is identified by: First edition: Victor Gollancz, London, 1989 (published 9 November 1989), copyright page indicating the first printing, Josh Kirby jacket art, jacket with its printed price. The UK Gollancz hardcover of 1989 is the world first; US and Corgi paperback editions follow.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition: Victor Gollancz, London, 1989 (published 9 November 1989), copyright page indicating the first printing, Josh Kirby jacket art, jacket with its printed price
- The first City Watch Discworld novel
- Publisher imprint reads Victor Gollancz
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Terry Pratchett |
| Publisher | Victor Gollancz |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition: Victor Gollancz, London, 1989 (published 9 November 1989), copyright page indicating the first printing, Josh Kirby jacket… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition: Victor Gollancz, London, 1989 (published 9 November 1989), copyright page indicating the first printing, Josh Kirby jacket art, jacket with its printed price. The first City Watch Discworld novel.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Gollancz hardcover of 1989 is the world first; US and Corgi paperback editions follow.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Corgi paperbacks are common. Book Club Associates (BCA) hardcovers carry no printed jacket price and bear book-club markings.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Guards! Guards!* by Terry Pratchett a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/guards-guards
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.