The points of issue
First Canadian edition, McClelland & Stewart, 1987, with the copyright page showing the first printing and no later-printing line. First-state dust jacket unclipped with the price on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
True first is the Canadian M&S 1987 edition, preceding the US Knopf (1987, the first American edition) and the UK editions. This is the novel that introduces characters later carried into The English Patient.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition; watch national precedence, since the Knopf US printing is a later first-thus rather than the true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of In the Skin of a Lion a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First Canadian edition, McClelland & Stewart, 1987, with the copyright page showing the first printing and no later-printing line. First-state dust jacket unclipped with the price on the front flap.
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. True first is the Canadian M&S 1987 edition, preceding the US Knopf (1987, the first American edition) and the UK editions. This is the novel that introduces characters later carried into The English Patient.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No significant book-club edition; watch national precedence, since the Knopf US printing is a later first-thus rather than the true first.
I have a first edition of In the Skin of a Lion — 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.