# Is "Meridian" by Alice Walker a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Meridian by Alice Walker (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1976) is identified by: Two-tone cloth with gilt spine titles; orange dust jacket, unclipped. US HBJ 1976 is the true first; a stated 'First edition' WITH the 'B C D E' line is the correct first-printing state for this window.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Two-tone cloth with gilt spine titles; orange dust jacket, unclipped
- Copyright page states First edition together with the letter line B C D E. Within the 1973-1983 Harcourt window the omitted 'A' is correct, so 'First edition / B C D E' is the true first printing
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Alice Walker |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Two-tone cloth with gilt spine titles; orange dust jacket, unclipped |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Two-tone cloth with gilt spine titles; orange dust jacket, unclipped. Copyright page states First edition together with the letter line B C D E. Within the 1973-1983 Harcourt window the omitted 'A' is correct, so 'First edition / B C D E' is the true first printing.

## Is this the true first?
US HBJ 1976 is the true first; a stated 'First edition' WITH the 'B C D E' line is the correct first-printing state for this window.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Caution: a copy showing 'B C D E' but lacking the stated 'First edition' is a later printing, not the first. Later printings further shorten the letter line; resold copies often lack the orange topstain or the priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Meridian* by Alice Walker a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/meridian
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.