# Is "Marcovaldo, or The Seasons in the City" by Italo Calvino a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Marcovaldo, or The Seasons in the City by Italo Calvino (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1983) is identified by: US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1983 first edition, stated First edition with the HBJ letter line beginning at B (First Edition / B C D E) per the 1973 to 1983 practice. First English translation of Marcovaldo ovvero Le stagioni in citta (Einaudi, 1963).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1983 first edition, stated First edition with the HBJ letter line beginning at B (First Edition / B C D E) per the 1973 to 1983 practice
- Translated by William Weaver; drawings by Sergio Tofano
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Italo Calvino |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1983 first edition, stated First edition with the HBJ letter… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich 1983 first edition, stated First edition with the HBJ letter line beginning at B (First Edition / B C D E) per the 1973 to 1983 practice. Translated by William Weaver; drawings by Sergio Tofano.

## Is this the true first?
First English translation of Marcovaldo ovvero Le stagioni in citta (Einaudi, 1963). US Harcourt and UK Secker and Warburg editions both appeared in 1983.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A later book-club printing lacks the stated First edition line and letter string and usually has no jacket price; identify by the missing number line rather than by a stamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Marcovaldo, or The Seasons in the City* by Italo Calvino a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/marcovaldo-or-the-seasons-in-the-city
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.