# Is "Post Office" by Charles Bukowski a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Post Office by Charles Bukowski (Black Sparrow Press, 1971) is identified by: Bukowski's first novel. True first is the 1971 Black Sparrow edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bukowski's first novel
- Issued in trade paper wrappers (about 2000 copies) and in a hardbound limited edition of 250 copies signed and numbered by Bukowski, bound in cloth-backed boards with a paper spine label
- Publisher imprint reads Black Sparrow Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Bukowski |
| Publisher | Black Sparrow Press |
| Year | 1971 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bukowski's first novel |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bukowski's first novel. Issued in trade paper wrappers (about 2000 copies) and in a hardbound limited edition of 250 copies signed and numbered by Bukowski, bound in cloth-backed boards with a paper spine label.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1971 Black Sparrow edition. The 250 signed/numbered hardbound copies are the premium state.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Post Office* by Charles Bukowski a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/post-office
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.