# Is "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Faber and Faber, 2005) is identified by: Faber & Faber London 2005. Faber London 2005 is the true first; Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Faber & Faber London 2005
- First printing with the full number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' on the copyright page (ending in '1')
- Bound in publisher's dark green paper-covered boards, stamped in ecru to the spine, with mustard endpapers; dust jacket carries its printed price
- UK first precedes the US Knopf 2005 edition
- Publisher imprint reads Faber and Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kazuo Ishiguro |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Faber & Faber London 2005 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Faber & Faber London 2005. First printing with the full number line '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1' on the copyright page (ending in '1'). Bound in publisher's dark green paper-covered boards, stamped in ecru to the spine, with mustard endpapers; dust jacket carries its printed price. UK first precedes the US Knopf 2005 edition.

## Is this the true first?
Faber London 2005 is the true first; Alfred A. Knopf New York 2005 is the first US.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A number line not ending in '1' indicates a later printing; the US edition carries the Knopf imprint. A signed limited Faber issue, the members' green paper-covered edition (issued without a jacket), and film-tie-in printings are all distinct from the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Never Let Me Go* by Kazuo Ishiguro a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/never-let-me-go
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.