# Is "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" by Sylvia Plath a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams by Sylvia Plath (Faber & Faber, 1977) is identified by: Posthumous collection of short stories, prose, and diary excerpts edited by Ted Hughes. The Faber UK edition (1977, thirteen stories) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Posthumous collection of short stories, prose, and diary excerpts edited by Ted Hughes
- First edition, Faber & Faber, 1977, boards with dust jacket; the Faber first contains thirteen stories
- First printing per Faber convention (no later-printing statement)
- Publisher imprint reads Faber & Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Sylvia Plath |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Posthumous collection of short stories, prose, and diary excerpts edited by Ted Hughes |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Posthumous collection of short stories, prose, and diary excerpts edited by Ted Hughes. First edition, Faber & Faber, 1977, boards with dust jacket; the Faber first contains thirteen stories. First printing per Faber convention (no later-printing statement).

## Is this the true first?
The Faber UK edition (1977, thirteen stories) is the true first. The Harper & Row US edition (1979) is expanded, adding further prose and nine additional stories drawn from the Indiana archive.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams* by Sylvia Plath a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/johnny-panic-and-the-bible-of-dreams
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.