# Is "Nightwork" by Irwin Shaw a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Nightwork by Irwin Shaw (Delacorte Press, 1975) is identified by: First printing is identified by First printing stated on the copyright page with no later printings listed; Delacorte of this era used a stated First printing line rather than a number row. US Delacorte edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing is identified by First printing stated on the copyright page with no later printings listed
- Delacorte of this era used a stated First printing line rather than a number row
- The first edition is bound in blue textured cloth-over-boards and issued in a pictorial dust jacket carrying the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Delacorte Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Irwin Shaw |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press |
| Year | 1975 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing is identified by First printing stated on the copyright page with no later printings listed |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing is identified by First printing stated on the copyright page with no later printings listed; Delacorte of this era used a stated First printing line rather than a number row. The first edition is bound in blue textured cloth-over-boards and issued in a pictorial dust jacket carrying the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Delacorte edition is the true first. The UK first was published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson in 1975 (corrected from New English Library, which issued the later UK paperback rather than the first hardcover).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book club printing exists; it lacks the First printing statement and is typically identified by a blind-stamped mark (often a small dot or square) on the rear board and an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Nightwork* by Irwin Shaw a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/nightwork
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.