# Is "Hard Candy: A Book of Stories" by Tennessee Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Hard Candy: A Book of Stories by Tennessee Williams (New Directions, 1954) is identified by: The signed limited issue precedes/parallels the trade issue and is numbered to 100 copies (with roughly 135 produced in total), signed by Williams. The 1954 signed limited issue (numbered to 100 copies) precedes/accompanies the trade issue and is distinguished by its cancel title page and the added 'Kingdom of Earth' story.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New Directions, 1954
- The signed limited issue precedes/parallels the trade issue and is numbered to 100 copies (with roughly 135 produced in total), signed by Williams
- The key distinction is textual: the limited issue carries a cancel title page and adds the story 'The Kingdom of Earth,' which was omitted from the trade issue titled simply 'Hard Candy.' The trade issue is cloth in a dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tennessee Williams |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1954 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New Directions, 1954 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New Directions, 1954. The signed limited issue precedes/parallels the trade issue and is numbered to 100 copies (with roughly 135 produced in total), signed by Williams. The key distinction is textual: the limited issue carries a cancel title page and adds the story 'The Kingdom of Earth,' which was omitted from the trade issue titled simply 'Hard Candy.' The trade issue is cloth in a dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The 1954 signed limited issue (numbered to 100 copies) precedes/accompanies the trade issue and is distinguished by its cancel title page and the added 'Kingdom of Earth' story.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Hard Candy: A Book of Stories* by Tennessee Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/hard-candy-a-book-of-stories
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.