# Is "number9dream" by David Mitchell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of number9dream by David Mitchell (Sceptre, 2001) is identified by: Sceptre (an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton), London, 2001, issued as a trade-paperback original in stiff card wraps; a full number line including 1 on the copyright page confirms the first printing. The UK Sceptre trade-paperback original (2001) is the true first; Sceptre issued no UK hardback, and the US Random House hardcover (quarter white cloth over white boards, stamped in blue) followed in February 2002.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Sceptre (an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton), London, 2001, issued as a trade-paperback original in stiff card wraps; a full number line including 1 on the copyright page confirms the first printing
- No UK hardback preceded it, so the wrappered Sceptre issue is the true first form
- Booker-shortlisted
- Publisher imprint reads Sceptre
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | David Mitchell |
| Publisher | Sceptre |
| Year | 2001 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Sceptre (an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton), London, 2001, issued as a trade-paperback original in stiff card wraps; a full number line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Sceptre (an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton), London, 2001, issued as a trade-paperback original in stiff card wraps; a full number line including 1 on the copyright page confirms the first printing. No UK hardback preceded it, so the wrappered Sceptre issue is the true first form. Booker-shortlisted.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Sceptre trade-paperback original (2001) is the true first; Sceptre issued no UK hardback, and the US Random House hardcover (quarter white cloth over white boards, stamped in blue) followed in February 2002.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings drop the 1 from the number line and/or state the impression.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *number9dream* by David Mitchell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/number9dream
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.