# Is "Liza of Lambeth" by W. Somerset Maugham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Liza of Lambeth by W. Somerset Maugham (T. Fisher Unwin, 1897) is identified by: First printing in original green cloth (Maugham's first novel), with about two thousand copies. UK T.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing in original green cloth (Maugham's first novel), with about two thousand copies
- The first issue carries 'all rights reserved' in brackets on the verso of the title page and six pages of publisher's advertisements at the rear
- Later Colonial-issue sheets were drawn upon for subsequent issues
- Publisher imprint reads T. Fisher Unwin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. Somerset Maugham |
| Publisher | T. Fisher Unwin |
| Year | 1897 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing in original green cloth (Maugham's first novel), with about two thousand copies |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing in original green cloth (Maugham's first novel), with about two thousand copies. The first issue carries 'all rights reserved' in brackets on the verso of the title page and six pages of publisher's advertisements at the rear. Later Colonial-issue sheets were drawn upon for subsequent issues.

## Is this the true first?
UK T. Fisher Unwin is the true first; the US edition (Doran) came much later.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A revised edition appeared in 1904 with textual changes; not a book-club issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Liza of Lambeth* by W. Somerset Maugham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/liza-of-lambeth
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.