# Is "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (Alfred A. Knopf, 2016) is identified by: Copyright page states First Edition with the Borzoi (Knopf) colophon; the true first also requires the number line to include 1, since Knopf retains the First Edition statement on later printings while dropping the 1. US Knopf is the true first (debut novel, 2016); the UK Viking edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states First Edition with the Borzoi (Knopf) colophon; the true first also requires the number line to include 1, since Knopf retains the First Edition statement on later printings while dropping the 1
- Octavo, about 305 pages; hardcover ISBN 9781101947135
- First-issue jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap
- The Powell's Indiespensable slipcased issue with author chapbook is a separate collectible variant, not the trade first
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Yaa Gyasi |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2016 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states First Edition with the Borzoi (Knopf) colophon; the true first also requires the number line to include 1, since… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states First Edition with the Borzoi (Knopf) colophon; the true first also requires the number line to include 1, since Knopf retains the First Edition statement on later printings while dropping the 1. Octavo, about 305 pages; hardcover ISBN 9781101947135. First-issue jacket carries the original printed price on the front flap. The Powell's Indiespensable slipcased issue with author chapbook is a separate collectible variant, not the trade first.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf is the true first (debut novel, 2016); the UK Viking edition followed. Strong demand for a celebrated debut; signed firsts are sought.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No traditional BCE; Knopf firsts are told by the First Edition statement plus the Borzoi colophon together with a number line that still includes 1. The slipcased Indiespensable issue is a distinct special edition, not the standard trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Homegoing* by Yaa Gyasi a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/homegoing
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.