# Is "In a Free State" by V. S. Naipaul a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of In a Free State by V. S. Naipaul (André Deutsch, 1971) is identified by: First UK edition, André Deutsch 1971. UK André Deutsch edition is the true first; the US edition (Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition, André Deutsch 1971. 'First published 1971' on the verso; original boards, dust jacket with price
- Won the 1971 Booker Prize
- Some first issues were supplied with a promotional wraparound band
- Publisher imprint reads André Deutsch
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | V. S. Naipaul |
| Publisher | André Deutsch |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition, André Deutsch 1971. 'First published 1971' on the verso; original boards, dust jacket with price |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First UK edition, André Deutsch 1971. 'First published 1971' on the verso; original boards, dust jacket with price. Won the 1971 Booker Prize. Some first issues were supplied with a promotional wraparound band.

## Is this the true first?
UK André Deutsch edition is the true first; the US edition (Alfred A. Knopf, New York) followed in 1971. Naipaul's 2001 Nobel Prize raised collector demand.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Knopf US edition carries a US imprint and price. No major book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *In a Free State* by V. S. Naipaul a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/in-a-free-state
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.