# Is "Oscar and Lucinda" by Peter Carey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey (University of Queensland Press, 1988) is identified by: St Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press, 1988, first edition, first impression in original dust wrapper. The Australian UQP edition has priority over the UK Faber and US Harper & Row editions and is the true first; many sellers list the Faber as 'first,' but UQP precedes it.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- St Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press, 1988, first edition, first impression in original dust wrapper. 'First published 1988 by University of Queensland Press' on the verso
- The Australian UQP edition precedes the UK Faber and US Harper & Row editions
- 1988 Booker winner
- Publisher imprint reads University of Queensland Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Carey |
| Publisher | University of Queensland Press |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | Australian edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | St Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press, 1988, first edition, first impression in original dust wrapper. 'First published 1988… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
St Lucia, Queensland: University of Queensland Press, 1988, first edition, first impression in original dust wrapper. 'First published 1988 by University of Queensland Press' on the verso. The Australian UQP edition precedes the UK Faber and US Harper & Row editions. 1988 Booker winner.

## Is this the true first?
The Australian UQP edition has priority over the UK Faber and US Harper & Row editions and is the true first; many sellers list the Faber as 'first,' but UQP precedes it.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Faber UK and Harper & Row US are distinguished by their imprints and their own 'first published' lines tied to their later publication. No prominent BCE.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Oscar and Lucinda* by Peter Carey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/oscar-and-lucinda
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.