The points of issue
London: Secker & Warburg, 25 April 1938. Orwell's move to Secker after Gollancz declined the book. Green cloth with a pictorial first-issue dust jacket. A small first printing of 1,500 copies that sold poorly (well under half in the first months), making the genuine first scarce. Title page dated 1938.
Is this the true first?
UK Secker & Warburg (1938) is the true first; there was no US edition until 1952 (Harcourt). The genuine first is uncommon.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions and the much-later 1952 US edition postdate the first. Confirm by the 1938 Secker & Warburg imprint and 1,500-copy first printing.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Homage to Catalonia a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: London: Secker & Warburg, 25 April 1938. Orwell's move to Secker after Gollancz declined the book. Green cloth with a pictorial first-issue dust jacket. A small first printing of 1,500 copies that sold poorly (well under half in the first months), making the genuine first scarce. Title page dated 1938.
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. UK Secker & Warburg (1938) is the true first; there was no US edition until 1952 (Harcourt). The genuine first is uncommon.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions and the much-later 1952 US edition postdate the first. Confirm by the 1938 Secker & Warburg imprint and 1,500-copy first printing.
I have a first edition of Homage to Catalonia — 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.