# Is "In Praise of Darkness" by Jorge Luis Borges a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of In Praise of Darkness by Jorge Luis Borges (E.P. Dutton, 1974) is identified by: First American edition and first printing, E.P. First English-language edition of Elogio de la sombra (1969), issued as a parallel-text bilingual edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition and first printing, E.P. Dutton, New York, 1974
- Bilingual (Spanish/English) edition translated by Norman Thomas di Giovanni in collaboration with the author (one poem translated by John Updike)
- Publisher imprint reads E.P. Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jorge Luis Borges |
| Publisher | E.P. Dutton |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition and first printing, E.P. Dutton, New York, 1974 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First American edition and first printing, E.P. Dutton, New York, 1974. Bilingual (Spanish/English) edition translated by Norman Thomas di Giovanni in collaboration with the author (one poem translated by John Updike).

## Is this the true first?
First English-language edition of Elogio de la sombra (1969), issued as a parallel-text bilingual edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition; confirm by the 1974 date and first-printing state.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *In Praise of Darkness* by Jorge Luis Borges a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/in-praise-of-darkness
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.