# Is "Owners" by Caryl Churchill a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Owners by Caryl Churchill (Eyre Methuen, 1973) is identified by: Issued in wrappers as a Methuen Playscript, Eyre Methuen, London, 1973. UK Eyre Methuen first, issued in wrappers as a Methuen Playscript.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued in wrappers as a Methuen Playscript, Eyre Methuen, London, 1973
- Premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 1972; this was Churchill's first professionally produced stage play
- The true first is the Eyre Methuen wrappers edition
- Publisher imprint reads Eyre Methuen
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Caryl Churchill |
| Publisher | Eyre Methuen |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued in wrappers as a Methuen Playscript, Eyre Methuen, London, 1973 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Issued in wrappers as a Methuen Playscript, Eyre Methuen, London, 1973. Premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 1972; this was Churchill's first professionally produced stage play. The true first is the Eyre Methuen wrappers edition.

## Is this the true first?
UK Eyre Methuen first, issued in wrappers as a Methuen Playscript. Premiere was 1972 but publication was 1973.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Owners* by Caryl Churchill a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/owners
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.