# Is "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J. K. Rowling a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (Bloomsbury, 2005) is identified by: UK first (Bloomsbury, 16 July 2005). UK Bloomsbury is the true first; the US Scholastic edition was effectively simultaneous (2005).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK first (Bloomsbury, 16 July 2005)
- The copyright page must state 'First Edition' and show '2005'
- A recognised first-printing text point is the line on page 99 reading 'eleven outstanding O.W.L.s', changed to 'ten' in later printings
- Printed in very large quantities, so first printings are common
- Publisher imprint reads Bloomsbury
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J. K. Rowling |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | UK first (Bloomsbury, 16 July 2005) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK first (Bloomsbury, 16 July 2005). The copyright page must state 'First Edition' and show '2005'. A recognised first-printing text point is the line on page 99 reading 'eleven outstanding O.W.L.s', changed to 'ten' in later printings. Printed in very large quantities, so first printings are common.

## Is this the true first?
UK Bloomsbury is the true first; the US Scholastic edition was effectively simultaneous (2005). The 'First Edition' statement together with the page 99 'eleven O.W.L.s' reading are the reliable first-printing markers.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings correct the page 99 'eleven' to 'ten' and omit the 'First Edition' statement. Book-club / gift printings (for example a Ted Smart issue) are not the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince* by J. K. Rowling a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince
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.