# Is "Mockingbird Wish Me Luck" by Charles Bukowski a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mockingbird Wish Me Luck by Charles Bukowski (Black Sparrow Press, 1972) is identified by: Issued in trade wrappers and trade hardbound, both preceded by a signed limited edition of approximately 250 to 300 copies numbered and signed by Bukowski on the limitation page, bound in printed boards with a cloth backstrip and mounted spine label. True first is the 1972 Black Sparrow edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued in trade wrappers and trade hardbound, both preceded by a signed limited edition of approximately 250 to 300 copies numbered and signed by Bukowski on the limitation page, bound in printed boards with a cloth backstrip and mounted spine label
- A further deluxe issue of about 75 copies was signed and contained an original Bukowski drawing
- Publisher imprint reads Black Sparrow Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Bukowski |
| Publisher | Black Sparrow Press |
| Year | 1972 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued in trade wrappers and trade hardbound, both preceded by a signed limited edition… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Issued in trade wrappers and trade hardbound, both preceded by a signed limited edition of approximately 250 to 300 copies numbered and signed by Bukowski on the limitation page, bound in printed boards with a cloth backstrip and mounted spine label. A further deluxe issue of about 75 copies was signed and contained an original Bukowski drawing.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1972 Black Sparrow edition. The signed/numbered limited copies and the small deluxe issue with an original drawing are the premium states.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mockingbird Wish Me Luck* by Charles Bukowski a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mockingbird-wish-me-luck
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.