The points of issue
Hardcover in brown cloth/buckram, spine lettered in gilt; copyright page reads 'First published 1985' with a full number line ending in 1; original color-printed priced dust jacket. Won the Whitbread Novel Award and the Guardian Fiction Prize.
Is this the true first?
The UK Hamish Hamilton 1985 hardcover is the true first, preceding the US Harper & Row 1986 edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions raise the lowest number in the line above 1.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Hawksmoor a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Hardcover in brown cloth/buckram, spine lettered in gilt; copyright page reads 'First published 1985' with a full number line ending in 1; original color-printed priced dust jacket. Won the Whitbread Novel Award and the Guardian Fiction Prize.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The UK Hamish Hamilton 1985 hardcover is the true first, preceding the US Harper & Row 1986 edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions raise the lowest number in the line above 1.
I have a first edition of Hawksmoor — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.