The points of issue
First edition (Gallup A1): Eliot's first book, The Egoist Ltd., London, 1917, limited to 500 copies in stiff printed buff/cream wrappers lettered in black; 40 pages, issued without a dust jacket. A notoriously fragile production and one of the scarcest twentieth-century poetry firsts.
Is this the true first?
The Egoist 1917 wrappers issue of 500 copies is the true first; later collected printings in Faber omnibuses are far later firsts thus. There is no separate US first of note.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue; the genuine first is the 1917 wrappered pamphlet of 500 copies, identified by imprint and date.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Prufrock and Other Observations a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition (Gallup A1): Eliot's first book, The Egoist Ltd., London, 1917, limited to 500 copies in stiff printed buff/cream wrappers lettered in black; 40 pages, issued without a dust jacket. A notoriously fragile production and one of the scarcest twentieth-century poetry firsts.
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. The Egoist 1917 wrappers issue of 500 copies is the true first; later collected printings in Faber omnibuses are far later firsts thus. There is no separate US first of note.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club issue; the genuine first is the 1917 wrappered pamphlet of 500 copies, identified by imprint and date.
I have a first edition of Prufrock and Other Observations — 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.