The points of issue
Octavo novella; black cloth with gilt spine titles and blue endpapers; copyright page states 'First published 2007' with the printer's key descending to 1; first-issue pictorial matt dust jacket carries the original UK price unclipped. Booker Prize shortlisted (2007).
Is this the true first?
First published by Jonathan Cape in London in 2007; the US Nan A. Talese / Doubleday edition also appeared in 2007, near-simultaneously, so the Cape printing is the British first rather than a clear global precedent.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Cape impressions revise the printer's key so the lowest digit is no longer 1.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of On Chesil Beach a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Octavo novella; black cloth with gilt spine titles and blue endpapers; copyright page states 'First published 2007' with the printer's key descending to 1; first-issue pictorial matt dust jacket carries the original UK price unclipped. Booker Prize shortlisted (2007).
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. First published by Jonathan Cape in London in 2007; the US Nan A. Talese / Doubleday edition also appeared in 2007, near-simultaneously, so the Cape printing is the British first rather than a clear global precedent.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Cape impressions revise the printer's key so the lowest digit is no longer 1.
I have a first edition of On Chesil Beach — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.