# Is "Public Library and Other Stories" by Ali Smith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Public Library and Other Stories by Ali Smith (Hamish Hamilton, 2015) is identified by: Story collection of twelve tales punctuated by reflections on public libraries. The UK Hamish Hamilton edition of 2015 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Story collection of twelve tales punctuated by reflections on public libraries
- UK Hamish Hamilton first edition dated 2015 (published 5 November 2015), ISBN 978-0241237465, approximately 240 pages, issued in hardback boards with gilt spine lettering in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price
- The first impression carries a complete number line ending in 1
- Publisher imprint reads Hamish Hamilton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ali Smith |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Year | 2015 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Story collection of twelve tales punctuated by reflections on public libraries |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Story collection of twelve tales punctuated by reflections on public libraries. UK Hamish Hamilton first edition dated 2015 (published 5 November 2015), ISBN 978-0241237465, approximately 240 pages, issued in hardback boards with gilt spine lettering in a pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed cover price. The first impression carries a complete number line ending in 1.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Hamish Hamilton edition of 2015 is the true first. The first American edition followed in 2016 as a First Anchor Books Edition (Anchor being a Penguin Random House imprint), and is a later, separate state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions are indicated by a number line that no longer ends in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Public Library and Other Stories* by Ali Smith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/public-library-and-other-stories
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.