The points of issue
FSG first edition, so stated on the copyright page with no additional printings indicated. Blue cloth, spine lettering, 95 pp., octavo; dust jacket. Contains the title poem 'Questions of Travel' and the Brazil poems.
Is this the true first?
US true first. FSG became Bishop's American publisher; this collection precedes any UK appearance of these poems (the Chatto & Windus Selected Poems came later, in 1967).
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of note; later FSG printings carry a printing statement.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Questions of Travel a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: FSG first edition, so stated on the copyright page with no additional printings indicated. Blue cloth, spine lettering, 95 pp., octavo; dust jacket. Contains the title poem 'Questions of Travel' and the Brazil poems.
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. US true first. FSG became Bishop's American publisher; this collection precedes any UK appearance of these poems (the Chatto & Windus Selected Poems came later, in 1967).
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No book-club edition of note; later FSG printings carry a printing statement.
I have a first edition of Questions of Travel — 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.