# Is "Pincher Martin" by William Golding a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Pincher Martin by William Golding (Faber & Faber, 1956) is identified by: London: Faber & Faber, 1956. The UK Faber edition (1956) is the true first; the differently titled US edition (1957) is later and is not a substitute for collectors.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- London: Faber & Faber, 1956
- Cloth binding; first-issue dust jacket with art by Anthony Gross, priced to the flap, unclipped
- Copyright page states 'First published in mcmlvi' (Faber used Roman-numeral years before 1968)
- The US edition was retitled 'The Two Deaths of Christopher Martin' (Harcourt, Brace, 1957) — a separate, later issue
- Publisher imprint reads Faber & Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Golding |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | London: Faber & Faber, 1956 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
London: Faber & Faber, 1956. Cloth binding; first-issue dust jacket with art by Anthony Gross, priced to the flap, unclipped. Copyright page states 'First published in mcmlvi' (Faber used Roman-numeral years before 1968). The US edition was retitled 'The Two Deaths of Christopher Martin' (Harcourt, Brace, 1957) — a separate, later issue.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Faber edition (1956) is the true first; the differently titled US edition (1957) is later and is not a substitute for collectors.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The US retitled edition postdates the UK first; later Faber impressions add a printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Pincher Martin* by William Golding a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/pincher-martin
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.