# Is "Passion Play" by Jerzy Kosinski a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Passion Play by Jerzy Kosinski (St. Martin's Press, 1979) is identified by: First trade edition, St. True first is the 1979 St.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First trade edition, St
- Martin's Press, New York, 1979, 271 pages, octavo
- The first printing carries a number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Bound in quarter black cloth over red paper-covered boards with silver lettering to the spine
- First-state dust jacket retains the printed publisher's price on the front flap; a first is 'unclipped' when that price is intact
- A separate signed limited issue of 500 numbered copies also exists, each signed by Kosinski
- Publisher imprint reads St. Martin's Press

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jerzy Kosinski |
| Publisher | St. Martin's Press |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First trade edition, St |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First trade edition, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1979, 271 pages, octavo. The first printing carries a number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Bound in quarter black cloth over red paper-covered boards with silver lettering to the spine. First-state dust jacket retains the printed publisher's price on the front flap; a first is 'unclipped' when that price is intact. A separate signed limited issue of 500 numbered copies also exists, each signed by Kosinski.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1979 St. Martin's Press (New York) trade edition, 271 pages.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A Book Club Edition exists; identify it by the absence of the number line, the blind-stamped gutter code (small square or dot) on the rear board, and a dust jacket lacking any printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Passion Play* by Jerzy Kosinski a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/passion-play
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.