# Is "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog" by Dylan Thomas a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog by Dylan Thomas (J.M. Dent & Sons, 1940) is identified by: Dent & Sons, London, published 4 April 1940 in a stated first printing of 1,500 copies (after Ralph Maud's bibliography; corroborated by Wikipedia and dealer catalogues). The London Dent edition (4 April 1940) precedes the first American edition from New Directions, Norfolk, Connecticut, published later in 1940 (reported September 1940), so the Dent issue is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is J.M. Dent & Sons, London, published 4 April 1940 in a stated first printing of 1,500 copies (after Ralph Maud's bibliography; corroborated by Wikipedia and dealer catalogues)
- Bound in green cloth boards lettered in silver-gilt on the spine, with the top edge stained red, in a priced dust jacket
- First issue carries no later-impression statement on the copyright leaf/verso
- Publisher imprint reads J.M. Dent & Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dylan Thomas |
| Publisher | J.M. Dent & Sons |
| Year | 1940 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is J.M. Dent & Sons, London, published 4 April 1940 in a stated first printing of 1,500 copies (after Ralph Maud's bibliography… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is J.M. Dent & Sons, London, published 4 April 1940 in a stated first printing of 1,500 copies (after Ralph Maud's bibliography; corroborated by Wikipedia and dealer catalogues). Bound in green cloth boards lettered in silver-gilt on the spine, with the top edge stained red, in a priced dust jacket. First issue carries no later-impression statement on the copyright leaf/verso.

## Is this the true first?
The London Dent edition (4 April 1940) precedes the first American edition from New Directions, Norfolk, Connecticut, published later in 1940 (reported September 1940), so the Dent issue is the true first. The New Directions edition is a separate setting bound in red cloth (versus Dent's green), so cloth colour cleanly separates the two first-appearance issues.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The New Directions printing is a distinct first-American issue, not a reprint of the Dent sheets. Later Dent impressions add a reprint notice; there is no book-club issue of note for the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog* by Dylan Thomas a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/portrait-of-the-artist-as-a-young-dog
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.