# Is "Nazi Literature in the Americas" by Roberto Bolaño a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolaño (New Directions, 2008) is identified by: New Directions, New York, 2008 (published February), first English-language edition; translated from the Spanish by Chris Andrews. First English edition of La literatura nazi en América (Anagrama, Spanish, 1996); this New Directions hardcover is the first appearance of the text in English and in the United States.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New Directions, New York, 2008 (published February), first English-language edition; translated from the Spanish by Chris Andrews
- Copyright page carries the first-printing statement with a descending number line
- Issued as a hardcover original only, with no simultaneous softcover of the first printing, in a comparatively small print run that sold out; the hardcover in its priced dust jacket is the priority issue
- The printed jacket price should be present (price-clipping does not by itself demote the first printing)
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roberto Bolaño |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New Directions, New York, 2008 (published February), first English-language edition… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New Directions, New York, 2008 (published February), first English-language edition; translated from the Spanish by Chris Andrews. Copyright page carries the first-printing statement with a descending number line. Issued as a hardcover original only, with no simultaneous softcover of the first printing, in a comparatively small print run that sold out; the hardcover in its priced dust jacket is the priority issue. The printed jacket price should be present (price-clipping does not by itself demote the first printing).

## Is this the true first?
First English edition of La literatura nazi en América (Anagrama, Spanish, 1996); this New Directions hardcover is the first appearance of the text in English and in the United States. Shortlisted for the 2008 Best Translated Book Award. A later New Directions paperback is a separate, subsequent issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book club edition. Later printings and the trade paperback drop the hardcover first-printing point on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Nazi Literature in the Americas* by Roberto Bolaño a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/nazi-literature-in-the-americas
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.