The points of issue
First UK edition, Hamish Hamilton, London, 1992. 'First published 1992' on the verso of the title page. Original boards in dust jacket priced £14.99 on the front flap. Co-winner of the 1992 Booker Prize (shared with Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient).
Is this the true first?
The UK Hamish Hamilton edition is the true first; the US edition (Doubleday / Nan A. Talese) also appeared in 1992 but followed the UK printing.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US edition is later in sequence and US-priced. No prominent book-club edition affects the true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Sacred Hunger a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First UK edition, Hamish Hamilton, London, 1992. 'First published 1992' on the verso of the title page. Original boards in dust jacket priced £14.99 on the front flap. Co-winner of the 1992 Booker Prize (shared with Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient).
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 UK Hamish Hamilton edition is the true first; the US edition (Doubleday / Nan A. Talese) also appeared in 1992 but followed the UK printing.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
US edition is later in sequence and US-priced. No prominent book-club edition affects the true first.
I have a first edition of Sacred Hunger — 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.