# Is "Lancelot" by Walker Percy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Lancelot by Walker Percy (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1977) is identified by: 'First printing, 1977' stated on the copyright page (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). US (FSG) is the true first; the UK edition (Secker & Warburg, 1977) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'First printing, 1977' stated on the copyright page (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
- Cloth binding with gilt spine lettering and an orange top-stain, in the first-issue dust jacket designed by Jacqueline Schuman, the flap of which should retain its printed price
- US (FSG) is the true first
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Walker Percy |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First printing, 1977' stated on the copyright page (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'First printing, 1977' stated on the copyright page (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). Cloth binding with gilt spine lettering and an orange top-stain, in the first-issue dust jacket designed by Jacqueline Schuman, the flap of which should retain its printed price. US (FSG) is the true first.

## Is this the true first?
US (FSG) is the true first; the UK edition (Secker & Warburg, 1977) follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book club edition is blind-stamped on the rear board and lacks the flap price; the first printing is confirmed instead by the 'First printing, 1977' copyright-page statement and the priced first-issue jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Lancelot* by Walker Percy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/lancelot
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.