# Is "Notes on Grief" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Alfred A. Knopf, 2021) is identified by: Knopf first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full descending number line ending in 1. Knopf (US) and Fourth Estate/HarperCollins (UK) both carry the publication date of May 11, 2021, and are best regarded as simultaneous first editions rather than one preceding the other.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Alfred A. Knopf first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full descending number line ending in 1
- A slim hardcover expanded from her 2020 New Yorker essay on the death of her father, James Nwoye Adichie; issued in a printed dust jacket, which should retain its printed price on the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2021 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Alfred A. Knopf first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Alfred A. Knopf first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a full descending number line ending in 1. A slim hardcover expanded from her 2020 New Yorker essay on the death of her father, James Nwoye Adichie; issued in a printed dust jacket, which should retain its printed price on the flap.

## Is this the true first?
Knopf (US) and Fourth Estate/HarperCollins (UK) both carry the publication date of May 11, 2021, and are best regarded as simultaneous first editions rather than one preceding the other. The Knopf issue with stated 'First Edition' and full number line to 1 is the collected US first.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Notes on Grief* by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/notes-on-grief
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.