# Is "Lady Windermere's Fan" by Oscar Wilde a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde (Elkin Mathews and John Lane, 1893) is identified by: Published 9 November 1893 by Elkin Mathews and John Lane at the Bodley Head. The UK Bodley Head 1893 edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Published 9 November 1893 by Elkin Mathews and John Lane at the Bodley Head
- Limited to 500 ordinary copies plus 50 large-paper copies on handmade paper
- Salmon-pink cloth boards with gilt lettering and floral cover design by Charles Ricketts
- 1893 title page
- Elkin Mathews and John Lane imprint
- The 50 large-paper copies are the premier state
- Publisher imprint reads Elkin Mathews and John Lane

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Oscar Wilde |
| Publisher | Elkin Mathews and John Lane |
| Year | 1893 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Published 9 November 1893 by Elkin Mathews and John Lane at the Bodley Head |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Published 9 November 1893 by Elkin Mathews and John Lane at the Bodley Head. Limited to 500 ordinary copies plus 50 large-paper copies on handmade paper. Salmon-pink cloth boards with gilt lettering and floral cover design by Charles Ricketts; 1893 title page; Elkin Mathews and John Lane imprint. The 50 large-paper copies are the premier state.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Bodley Head 1893 edition is the true first. The 50 large-paper copies are the superior state above the 500 ordinary copies.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reprints are not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Lady Windermere's Fan* by Oscar Wilde a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/lady-windermeres-fan
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.