# Is "Kairos" by Jenny Erpenbeck (trans. Michael Hofmann) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck (trans. Michael Hofmann) (Granta, 2023) is identified by: First English edition (translation of the German 'Kairos'): Granta, London, published 1 June 2023, narrowly preceding New Directions, New York, 6 June 2023. The German 'Kairos' (Penguin Verlag, 2021) is the true first of the work.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First English edition (translation of the German 'Kairos'): Granta, London, published 1 June 2023, narrowly preceding New Directions, New York, 6 June 2023
- Both carry a dated 'first published 2023' verso statement
- Winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize
- Hofmann translation
- Publisher imprint reads Granta
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jenny Erpenbeck (trans. Michael Hofmann) |
| Publisher | Granta |
| Year | 2023 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First English edition (translation of the German 'Kairos'): Granta, London, published 1 June 2023, narrowly preceding New Directions, New… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First English edition (translation of the German 'Kairos'): Granta, London, published 1 June 2023, narrowly preceding New Directions, New York, 6 June 2023. Both carry a dated 'first published 2023' verso statement. Winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize. Hofmann translation.

## Is this the true first?
The German 'Kairos' (Penguin Verlag, 2021) is the true first of the work. The Granta UK edition (1 June 2023) is the true first in English by a few days; the New Directions US edition (6 June 2023) is a near-simultaneous first US printing. A 2024 New Directions softcover is a later paperback reissue, not the first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Granta UK and New Directions US firsts are distinguished by imprint and the dated verso statement. No known book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Kairos* by Jenny Erpenbeck (trans. Michael Hofmann) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/kairos
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.