# Is "Honey for the Bears" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Honey for the Bears by Anthony Burgess (William Heinemann, 1963) is identified by: First printing published by William Heinemann, London, 1963, octavo, 256 pages. UK Heinemann is the true first; the US Norton edition followed in 1964.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing published by William Heinemann, London, 1963, octavo, 256 pages
- Bound in orange cloth boards with gilt lettering to the spine
- The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Neil and Leila Godfrey and should carry the printed shilling price at the front flap corner; the wrapper is notoriously fragile and is usually found chipped or incomplete, so complete examples are uncommon
- The UK Heinemann edition precedes the US W. W. Norton edition of 1964
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1963 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing published by William Heinemann, London, 1963, octavo, 256 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing published by William Heinemann, London, 1963, octavo, 256 pages. Bound in orange cloth boards with gilt lettering to the spine. The first-issue dust jacket was designed by Neil and Leila Godfrey and should carry the printed shilling price at the front flap corner; the wrapper is notoriously fragile and is usually found chipped or incomplete, so complete examples are uncommon. The UK Heinemann edition precedes the US W. W. Norton edition of 1964.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann is the true first; the US Norton edition followed in 1964.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Honey for the Bears* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/honey-for-the-bears
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.