# Is "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (Victor Gollancz, 1938) is identified by: Gollancz, London, 1938 first edition; black cloth, gilt spine lettering, in Gollancz's typographic dust jacket (no pictorial art) with the printed price on the spine. UK Gollancz 1938 is the true first; the US (Doubleday Doran) edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Gollancz, London, 1938 first edition; black cloth, gilt spine lettering, in Gollancz's typographic dust jacket (no pictorial art) with the printed price on the spine
- A separate Special Presentation Edition limited to 200 copies (so designated on the title page and jacket, in a cream/off-white jacket printed in magenta and black) was issued roughly one month ahead of the trade publication
- Publisher imprint reads Victor Gollancz
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Daphne du Maurier |
| Publisher | Victor Gollancz |
| Year | 1938 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Gollancz, London, 1938 first edition; black cloth, gilt spine lettering, in Gollancz's typographic dust jacket (no pictorial art) with the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Gollancz, London, 1938 first edition; black cloth, gilt spine lettering, in Gollancz's typographic dust jacket (no pictorial art) with the printed price on the spine. A separate Special Presentation Edition limited to 200 copies (so designated on the title page and jacket, in a cream/off-white jacket printed in magenta and black) was issued roughly one month ahead of the trade publication.

## Is this the true first?
UK Gollancz 1938 is the true first; the US (Doubleday Doran) edition follows. The 200-copy Special Presentation issue precedes the trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club and later reprints exist; clipped or facsimile jackets are common, so confirm the printed price and check the verso for Gollancz reprint notices.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Rebecca* by Daphne du Maurier a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/rebecca
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.