# Is "Never Come Morning" by Nelson Algren a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Never Come Morning by Nelson Algren (Harper & Brothers, 1942) is identified by: First printing carries the Harper letter code on the copyright page indicating a 1942 production date, found together with the words FIRST EDITION (the date code on first printings of this title is C-R). US first edition (Harper & Brothers, 1942).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries the Harper letter code on the copyright page indicating a 1942 production date, found together with the words FIRST EDITION (the date code on first printings of this title is C-R)
- Introduction by Richard Wright
- Issued in dust jacket priced 2.50
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Brothers
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Nelson Algren |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers |
| Year | 1942 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries the Harper letter code on the copyright page indicating a 1942 production date, found together with the words FIRST… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing carries the Harper letter code on the copyright page indicating a 1942 production date, found together with the words FIRST EDITION (the date code on first printings of this title is C-R). Introduction by Richard Wright. Issued in dust jacket priced 2.50.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition (Harper & Brothers, 1942). A UK edition followed later from Neville Spearman.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Harper retained the words FIRST EDITION on later printings but changed the accompanying letter code to reflect a later production date, so the code (not the words alone) is the reliable point.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Never Come Morning* by Nelson Algren a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/never-come-morning
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.