# Is "Rough Crossing (after Molnár)" by Tom Stoppard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Rough Crossing (after Molnár) by Tom Stoppard (Faber and Faber, 1985) is identified by: Faber and Faber, London, 1985, issued as a B-format paperback original in printed wrappers, 76 pages (ISBN 0-571-13595-1). UK Faber first, in wrappers as a paperback original.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Faber and Faber, London, 1985, issued as a B-format paperback original in printed wrappers, 76 pages (ISBN 0-571-13595-1)
- No hardcover was published; the wrappered Faber edition is the true first in any form
- Stoppard's free version of Ferenc Molnár's Játék a kastélyban, known in English as The Play at the Castle, transposing the action to an ocean liner bound for New York
- Publisher imprint reads Faber and Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tom Stoppard |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Faber and Faber, London, 1985, issued as a B-format paperback original in printed… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Faber and Faber, London, 1985, issued as a B-format paperback original in printed wrappers, 76 pages (ISBN 0-571-13595-1). No hardcover was published; the wrappered Faber edition is the true first in any form. Stoppard's free version of Ferenc Molnár's Játék a kastélyban, known in English as The Play at the Castle, transposing the action to an ocean liner bound for New York.

## Is this the true first?
UK Faber first, in wrappers as a paperback original. Because it was never issued in cloth, the wrappered state is the first edition, not a lesser format. Stoppard's version after Ferenc Molnár's The Play at the Castle.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Rough Crossing (after Molnár)* by Tom Stoppard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/rough-crossing-after-moln-r
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.