# Is "High-Rise" by J.G. Ballard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of High-Rise by J.G. Ballard (Jonathan Cape, 1975) is identified by: First UK edition published 1975 by Jonathan Cape, first impression, in blue boards lettered in gilt on the spine with the publisher's device stamped at the foot; the top edge is stained blue. The Cape 1975 UK edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition published 1975 by Jonathan Cape, first impression, in blue boards lettered in gilt on the spine with the publisher's device stamped at the foot; the top edge is stained blue
- The dust jacket was designed by Craig Dodd, showing a block of flats; a correct first-issue jacket retains its printed net price
- Title appears hyphenated as 'High-Rise'
- Recorded in Currey and in Pringle's Ballard bibliography (A122)
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J.G. Ballard |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1975 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition published 1975 by Jonathan Cape, first impression, in blue boards lettered in gilt on the spine with the publisher's… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First UK edition published 1975 by Jonathan Cape, first impression, in blue boards lettered in gilt on the spine with the publisher's device stamped at the foot; the top edge is stained blue. The dust jacket was designed by Craig Dodd, showing a block of flats; a correct first-issue jacket retains its printed net price. Title appears hyphenated as 'High-Rise'. Recorded in Currey and in Pringle's Ballard bibliography (A122).

## Is this the true first?
The Cape 1975 UK edition is the true first. The first US edition followed from Holt, Rinehart and Winston in 1977, two years later, so the UK edition clearly precedes.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition for the first issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *High-Rise* by J.G. Ballard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/high-rise
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.