# Is "Prospero's Cell" by Lawrence Durrell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Prospero's Cell by Lawrence Durrell (Faber & Faber, 1945) is identified by: First edition, Faber & Faber, London, 1945. The UK Faber 1945 edition is the true first; the first US edition was published by E.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Faber & Faber, London, 1945
- Durrell's Corfu travel book, subtitled a guide to the landscape and manners of the island of Corcyra
- Octavo of about 142 pages with seven plates; bound in yellow cloth lettered in gilt on a blue spine panel, with publisher's advertisements to the rear
- Issued in a dust jacket designed by Roland Pym, now scarce (the jacket should carry its printed price)
- Publisher imprint reads Faber & Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lawrence Durrell |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
| Year | 1945 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Faber & Faber, London, 1945 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, Faber & Faber, London, 1945. Durrell's Corfu travel book, subtitled a guide to the landscape and manners of the island of Corcyra. Octavo of about 142 pages with seven plates; bound in yellow cloth lettered in gilt on a blue spine panel, with publisher's advertisements to the rear. Issued in a dust jacket designed by Roland Pym, now scarce (the jacket should carry its printed price).

## Is this the true first?
The UK Faber 1945 edition is the true first; the first US edition was published by E. P. Dutton in 1960.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue; the identifying features are the 1945 Faber imprint, the yellow cloth with blue-and-gilt spine, and the scarce Roland Pym jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Prospero's Cell* by Lawrence Durrell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/prosperos-cell
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.