# Is "Miramar" by Naguib Mahfouz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Miramar by Naguib Mahfouz (Heinemann, 1978) is identified by: First English edition, 1978, translated by Fatma Moussa-Mahmoud, edited and revised by Maged el Kommos and John Rodenbeck, with an introduction by John Fowles. The 1978 Heinemann African Writers Series / AUC Press appearance is the first English edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First English edition, 1978, translated by Fatma Moussa-Mahmoud, edited and revised by Maged el Kommos and John Rodenbeck, with an introduction by John Fowles
- Issued as Heinemann African Writers Series number 197 (wrappers carry the AWS series number on the spine); the American University in Cairo Press issued the parallel hardcover
- The Arabic original appeared in 1967
- Publisher imprint reads Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Naguib Mahfouz |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First English edition, 1978, translated by Fatma Moussa-Mahmoud, edited and revised by Maged el Kommos and John Rodenbeck, with an… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First English edition, 1978, translated by Fatma Moussa-Mahmoud, edited and revised by Maged el Kommos and John Rodenbeck, with an introduction by John Fowles. Issued as Heinemann African Writers Series number 197 (wrappers carry the AWS series number on the spine); the American University in Cairo Press issued the parallel hardcover. The Arabic original appeared in 1967.

## Is this the true first?
The 1978 Heinemann African Writers Series / AUC Press appearance is the first English edition. Later Doubleday/Anchor and other paperback issues are reprints.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Doubleday US and later paperbacks are reprints. The AWS series number on the spine is a series identifier, not a reprint indicator.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Miramar* by Naguib Mahfouz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/miramar
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.