# Is "Last Orders" by Graham Swift a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Last Orders by Graham Swift (Picador, 1996) is identified by: First UK edition, Picador (London) 1996. UK Picador 1996 is the true first; the US Knopf edition is a later first-thus.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition, Picador (London) 1996
- Copyright page reads 'First published 1996 by Picador' with the full staggered number line 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 (the presence of the 1 marks the first printing)
- Dust jacket priced 15.the printed price
- The UK Picador hardcover (January 1996) precedes the US Knopf edition (April 1996)
- 1996 Booker Prize winner
- Publisher imprint reads Picador
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Swift |
| Publisher | Picador |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition, Picador (London) 1996 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First UK edition, Picador (London) 1996. Copyright page reads 'First published 1996 by Picador' with the full staggered number line 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 (the presence of the 1 marks the first printing). Dust jacket priced 15.the printed price. The UK Picador hardcover (January 1996) precedes the US Knopf edition (April 1996). 1996 Booker Prize winner.

## Is this the true first?
UK Picador 1996 is the true first; the US Knopf edition is a later first-thus.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of note. Confirm the Picador imprint and the number line 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 versus the US Knopf printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Last Orders* by Graham Swift a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/last-orders
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.