# Is "Jamaica Inn" by Daphne du Maurier a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier (Victor Gollancz, 1936) is identified by: The Gollancz first impression is bound in pale blue cloth, lettered in darker blue on the spine with the publisher's name at the foot. Victor Gollancz (London) 1936 is the true first and precedes the first American edition from Doubleday, Doran (New York), also 1936.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Gollancz first impression is bound in pale blue cloth, lettered in darker blue on the spine with the publisher's name at the foot
- The dust jacket is Gollancz's characteristic yellow typographic design printed in black and red; a priced jacket (price present) is called for, and the wrapper survives on comparatively few copies, so most first editions are encountered without it
- Octavo, 351 pp
- Publisher imprint reads Victor Gollancz
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Daphne du Maurier |
| Publisher | Victor Gollancz |
| Year | 1936 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Gollancz first impression is bound in pale blue cloth, lettered in darker blue on the spine with the publisher's name at the foot |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The Gollancz first impression is bound in pale blue cloth, lettered in darker blue on the spine with the publisher's name at the foot. The dust jacket is Gollancz's characteristic yellow typographic design printed in black and red; a priced jacket (price present) is called for, and the wrapper survives on comparatively few copies, so most first editions are encountered without it. Octavo, 351 pp.

## Is this the true first?
Victor Gollancz (London) 1936 is the true first and precedes the first American edition from Doubleday, Doran (New York), also 1936. Both are collected; the Gollancz edition has precedence.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club points were documented in the sources consulted; the strong sale of this title means later Gollancz impressions exist and should be checked for impression statements on the title-leaf verso before a copy is called a first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Jamaica Inn* by Daphne du Maurier a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/jamaica-inn
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.