The points of issue
First edition: Secker and Warburg, London, 1977 (with Harper and Row, New York, 1977 near-simultaneous). Cloth in dust jacket. The South African Ravan Press edition followed in 1978 and famously left the Afrikaans dialogue untranslated, a distinct first-thus state. The US edition appeared under the variant title From the Heart of the Country.
Is this the true first?
Unlike Dusklands, the true first of this title is the 1977 UK Secker and Warburg, with Harper and Row US 1977 near-simultaneous, not Ravan, which came in 1978. The 1978 Ravan edition with untranslated Afrikaans dialogue is a separate collectible state.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1978 Ravan edition (untranslated-Afrikaans state) and later Penguin and Vintage paperbacks are later issues. Note the US title variant From the Heart of the Country.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of In the Heart of the Country a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition: Secker and Warburg, London, 1977 (with Harper and Row, New York, 1977 near-simultaneous). Cloth in dust jacket. The South African Ravan Press edition followed in 1978 and famously left the Afrikaans dialogue untranslated, a distinct first-thus state. The US edition appeared under the variant title From the Heart of the Country.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Unlike Dusklands, the true first of this title is the 1977 UK Secker and Warburg, with Harper and Row US 1977 near-simultaneous, not Ravan, which came in 1978. The 1978 Ravan edition with untranslated Afrikaans dialogue is a separate collectible state.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The 1978 Ravan edition (untranslated-Afrikaans state) and later Penguin and Vintage paperbacks are later issues. Note the US title variant From the Heart of the Country.
I have a first edition of In the Heart of the Country — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.