# Is "Italian Folktales" by Italo Calvino a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1980) is identified by: US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1980 first edition, a Helen and Kurt Wolff book, stated First edition with the HBJ letter line beginning at B (First Edition / B C D E) per the 1973 to 1983 practice. First complete English translation of Fiabe italiane (Einaudi, 1956), selected and retold by Calvino, in the Harcourt 1980 edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1980 first edition, a Helen and Kurt Wolff book, stated First edition with the HBJ letter line beginning at B (First Edition / B C D E) per the 1973 to 1983 practice
- Translated by George Martin
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Italo Calvino |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1980 first edition, a Helen and Kurt Wolff book, stated… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1980 first edition, a Helen and Kurt Wolff book, stated First edition with the HBJ letter line beginning at B (First Edition / B C D E) per the 1973 to 1983 practice. Translated by George Martin.

## Is this the true first?
First complete English translation of Fiabe italiane (Einaudi, 1956), selected and retold by Calvino, in the Harcourt 1980 edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A later book-club printing lacks the stated First edition line and letter string and typically has no jacket price; identify by the absence of the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Italian Folktales* by Italo Calvino a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/italian-folktales
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.