# Is "Howl and Other Poems" by Allen Ginsberg a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Howl and Other Poems by Allen Ginsberg (City Lights Books, 1956) is identified by: First edition, first printing: City Lights Pocket Poets Series Number Four, one of 1,000 copies, printed in England at the Press of Villiers Publications, Holloway, London (the first two printings were both English-printed). City Lights 1956 (Pocket Poets 4) is the true first worldwide — there is no prior edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing: City Lights Pocket Poets Series Number Four, one of 1,000 copies, printed in England at the Press of Villiers Publications, Holloway, London (the first two printings were both English-printed)
- Stapled black wrappers printed in grey, with the white printed paste-on label; the earliest printings have blank inside covers
- Two decisive first-issue points:
- the dedication page names 'Lucien Carr' (dropped from every later printing at Carr's request), and
- a period follows 'Harlem' on the rear wrapper
- The copyright page carries NO printing statement
- Publisher imprint reads City Lights Books

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Allen Ginsberg |
| Publisher | City Lights Books |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing: City Lights Pocket Poets Series Number Four, one of 1,000 copies, printed in England at the Press of… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing: City Lights Pocket Poets Series Number Four, one of 1,000 copies, printed in England at the Press of Villiers Publications, Holloway, London (the first two printings were both English-printed). Stapled black wrappers printed in grey, with the white printed paste-on label; the earliest printings have blank inside covers. Two decisive first-issue points: (1) the dedication page names 'Lucien Carr' (dropped from every later printing at Carr's request), and (2) a period follows 'Harlem' on the rear wrapper. The copyright page carries NO printing statement. Bill Morgan, The Works of Allen Ginsberg, A3; Ralph Cook, City Lights Books: A Descriptive Bibliography.

## Is this the true first?
City Lights 1956 (Pocket Poets 4) is the true first worldwide — there is no prior edition. The first two printings were printed in England by Villiers; U.S. Customs seized imported copies of the second printing, precipitating the obscenity prosecution (People v. Ferlinghetti, 1957) that made the book famous. Author-signed copies are especially prized.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not a book-club book. Later printings state the printing ('Second Printing,' 'Third Printing,' etc.) on the copyright page, drop 'Lucien Carr' from the dedication, and from the third printing were produced in the U.S. A stated printing, a dedication lacking Lucien Carr, or a missing period after 'Harlem' marks a later issue. Note: the printed wrapper price is NOT a reliable discriminator among the early printings — rely on the dedication, the 'Harlem' period, and the presence/absence of a printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Howl and Other Poems* by Allen Ginsberg a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/howl-and-other-poems
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.