The points of issue
Essay collection in cloth-backed boards with gilt spine lettering; full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; original dust jacket. ISBN 9781787331938. Published May 2021.
Is this the true first?
UK Jonathan Cape (2021) and US Random House (2021) appeared the same year; the Cape printing is the standard UK first.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions are identified by an altered number line; no book-club edition of note.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Languages of Truth: Essays 2003–2020 a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Essay collection in cloth-backed boards with gilt spine lettering; full number line ending in 1 on the copyright page; original dust jacket. ISBN 9781787331938. Published May 2021.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. UK Jonathan Cape (2021) and US Random House (2021) appeared the same year; the Cape printing is the standard UK first.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later impressions are identified by an altered number line; no book-club edition of note.
I have a first edition of Languages of Truth: Essays 2003–2020 — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.