The points of issue
French true first: Persepolis tome 1, L'Association, Collection Ciboulette, Paris, 2000, softcover, 76 pp., ISBN 2-84414-058-6 (9782844140586). English first: Pantheon Books, New York, 2003, hardcover in jacket, 153 pp., translated by Mattias Ripa and Blake Ferris, ISBN 0-375-42230-7 (9780375422300); first-printing copies carry the Pantheon copyright-page printing line with no later-printing statement.
Is this the true first?
True first is the French L'Association edition (Persepolis tome 1, 2000), first of four French volumes issued 2000 to 2003. The 2003 Pantheon is the first English and first US edition, and it combines French volumes 1 and 2 into a single 153-page book. Collectors separate the French original-language true first from the 2003 Pantheon first English.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. The mass-market trap is The Complete Persepolis (2007, single-volume softcover) and later movie tie-ins, all well after the 2000 French and 2003 English firsts. Verify the L'Association Ciboulette imprint for the French first, or the 2003 Pantheon copyright page for the English first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: French true first: Persepolis tome 1, L'Association, Collection Ciboulette, Paris, 2000, softcover, 76 pp., ISBN 2-84414-058-6 (9782844140586). English first: Pantheon Books, New York, 2003, hardcover in jacket, 153 pp., translated by Mattias Ripa and Blake Ferris, ISBN 0-375-42230-7 (9780375422300); first-printing copies carry the Pantheon copyright-page printing line with no later-printing statement.
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. True first is the French L'Association edition (Persepolis tome 1, 2000), first of four French volumes issued 2000 to 2003. The 2003 Pantheon is the first English and first US edition, and it combines French volumes 1 and 2 into a single 153-page book. Collectors separate the French original-languag
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition. The mass-market trap is The Complete Persepolis (2007, single-volume softcover) and later movie tie-ins, all well after the 2000 French and 2003 English firsts. Verify the L'Association Ciboulette imprint for the French first, or the 2003 Pantheon copyright page for the English first.
I have a first edition of Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood — 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.