# Is "Nights at the Circus" by Angela Carter a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter (Chatto & Windus, 1984) is identified by: First edition, London: Chatto & Windus / The Hogarth Press, 1984, copyright page stating 'First published 1984'; in publisher's boards with dust jacket. UK Chatto & Windus / Hogarth Press (1984) is the true first; the US Viking edition followed in 1985, so the UK precedes.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, London: Chatto & Windus / The Hogarth Press, 1984, copyright page stating 'First published 1984'; in publisher's boards with dust jacket
- Joint winner of the 1984 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction
- Publisher imprint reads Chatto & Windus
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Angela Carter |
| Publisher | Chatto & Windus |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, London: Chatto & Windus / The Hogarth Press, 1984, copyright page stating 'First published 1984'; in publisher's boards with… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, London: Chatto & Windus / The Hogarth Press, 1984, copyright page stating 'First published 1984'; in publisher's boards with dust jacket. Joint winner of the 1984 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction.

## Is this the true first?
UK Chatto & Windus / Hogarth Press (1984) is the true first; the US Viking edition followed in 1985, so the UK precedes.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Nights at the Circus* by Angela Carter a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/nights-at-the-circus
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.