# Is "Keeping an Eye Open: Essays on Art" by Julian Barnes a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Keeping an Eye Open: Essays on Art by Julian Barnes (Jonathan Cape, 2015) is identified by: Collection of art essays, illustrated in colour throughout (ISBN 9780224102018). The UK Jonathan Cape edition (7 May 2015) is the true first, preceding the US Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Collection of art essays, illustrated in colour throughout (ISBN 9780224102018)
- Hardcover in illustrated boards, issued in dust jacket
- First printing carries a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Julian Barnes |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 2015 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Collection of art essays, illustrated in colour throughout (ISBN 9780224102018) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Collection of art essays, illustrated in colour throughout (ISBN 9780224102018). Hardcover in illustrated boards, issued in dust jacket. First printing carries a full descending number line ending in 1 on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Jonathan Cape edition (7 May 2015) is the true first, preceding the US Alfred A. Knopf edition (2015).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions adjust the number line or add an impression statement on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Keeping an Eye Open: Essays on Art* by Julian Barnes a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/keeping-an-eye-open-essays-on-art
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.