# Is "Midaq Alley (Zuqaq al-Midaq)" by Naguib Mahfouz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Midaq Alley (Zuqaq al-Midaq) by Naguib Mahfouz (Khayats, 1966) is identified by: First English edition, translated by Trevor Le Gassick, published by Khayats, Beirut, 1966, a scarce Lebanese-press issue of roughly 319 pages, not Heinemann. True first English edition is Khayats, Beirut, 1966; the commonly seen Heinemann 1975 is a later revised first-thus.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First English edition, translated by Trevor Le Gassick, published by Khayats, Beirut, 1966, a scarce Lebanese-press issue of roughly 319 pages, not Heinemann
- Heinemann Educational, London, issued a corrected (revised) edition in 1975
- The Khayats 1966 is the genuine first English appearance
- Publisher imprint reads Khayats
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Naguib Mahfouz |
| Publisher | Khayats |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First English edition, translated by Trevor Le Gassick, published by Khayats, Beirut, 1966, a scarce Lebanese-press issue of roughly 319… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First English edition, translated by Trevor Le Gassick, published by Khayats, Beirut, 1966, a scarce Lebanese-press issue of roughly 319 pages, not Heinemann. Heinemann Educational, London, issued a corrected (revised) edition in 1975. The Khayats 1966 is the genuine first English appearance.

## Is this the true first?
True first English edition is Khayats, Beirut, 1966; the commonly seen Heinemann 1975 is a later revised first-thus. The Arabic original was published in 1947.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Heinemann 1975 (corrected edition), Anchor/Doubleday US, and AUC Press editions are later or revised. Do not cite Heinemann as the first English publisher.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Midaq Alley (Zuqaq al-Midaq)* by Naguib Mahfouz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/midaq-alley-zuqaq-al-midaq
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.