# Is "Island Nights' Entertainments" by Robert Louis Stevenson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Island Nights' Entertainments by Robert Louis Stevenson (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1893) is identified by: The first edition was published in New York by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1893, five days ahead of the first English edition from Cassell & Co., London. The Scribner's New York edition preceded the Cassell London edition by five days and is the true first; the illustrated Cassell first English edition is nonetheless the state most commonly sought by British-fiction collectors.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first edition was published in New York by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1893, five days ahead of the first English edition from Cassell & Co., London
- The Cassell first English issue is identified by the price on the leaf before the half-title being corrected by over-stamping, and by rear advertisements dated 7G-3.93; its binding is gilt-stamped pictorial blue cloth, the upper cover blocked in gilt with a Polynesian maiden, patterned endpapers, 28 illustrations, a color map, and a publisher's catalogue bound in at the end
- The volume collects three stories: 'The Beach of Falesa,' 'The Bottle Imp,' and 'The Isle of Voices.'
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Louis Stevenson |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Year | 1893 |
| True first | British edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first edition was published in New York by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1893, five days ahead of the first English edition from Cassell &… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
The first edition was published in New York by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1893, five days ahead of the first English edition from Cassell & Co., London. The Cassell first English issue is identified by the price on the leaf before the half-title being corrected by over-stamping, and by rear advertisements dated 7G-3.93; its binding is gilt-stamped pictorial blue cloth, the upper cover blocked in gilt with a Polynesian maiden, patterned endpapers, 28 illustrations, a color map, and a publisher's catalogue bound in at the end. The volume collects three stories: 'The Beach of Falesa,' 'The Bottle Imp,' and 'The Isle of Voices.'

## Is this the true first?
The Scribner's New York edition preceded the Cassell London edition by five days and is the true first; the illustrated Cassell first English edition is nonetheless the state most commonly sought by British-fiction collectors.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Island Nights' Entertainments* by Robert Louis Stevenson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/island-nights-entertainments
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.