The points of issue
Icelandic first edition, published in Reykjavík in two parts: Part I (Sjálfstætt fólk: Landnámsmaður Íslands) in 1934 and Part II (Erfiðir tímar) in 1935. The true first is the original two-part Icelandic issue in publisher's wrappers/cloth bearing the 1934 and 1935 imprints.
Is this the true first?
The Icelandic original is the true first (two parts, 1934 and 1935). The first English edition (US Knopf, 1946, translated by J. A. Thompson) is the English first thus and the most-collected by Western buyers.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The single-volume English Knopf 1946 edition is not the world first. Later Icelandic reprints are single-volume and post-date the original two-part issue.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Independent People (Sjálfstætt fólk) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Icelandic first edition, published in Reykjavík in two parts: Part I (Sjálfstætt fólk: Landnámsmaður Íslands) in 1934 and Part II (Erfiðir tímar) in 1935. The true first is the original two-part Icelandic issue in publisher's wrappers/cloth bearing the 1934 and 1935 imprints.
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. The Icelandic original is the true first (two parts, 1934 and 1935). The first English edition (US Knopf, 1946, translated by J. A. Thompson) is the English first thus and the most-collected by Western buyers.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The single-volume English Knopf 1946 edition is not the world first. Later Icelandic reprints are single-volume and post-date the original two-part issue.
I have a first edition of Independent People (Sjálfstætt fólk) — 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.