# Is "Sanctuary" by William Faulkner a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Sanctuary by William Faulkner (Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, 1931) is identified by: First edition (Connolly canon): Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, New York, 1931. The US Cape and Smith 1931 edition is the true first; the UK Chatto and Windus edition (1931) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition (Connolly canon): Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, New York, 1931
- Copyright page reads 'First published, 1931' with no later-impression notice
- Binding is light gray cloth over magenta paper-covered boards, the spine lettered in magenta, with a black-stained top edge (the record's 'red cloth lettered in black' is incorrect)
- First-issue dust jacket carries 'A Check List for the Discriminating Reader' printed on the back panel
- Faulkner heavily revised the galleys, but the published 1931 text is the standard collected first
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Faulkner |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith |
| Year | 1931 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition (Connolly canon): Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, New York, 1931 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition (Connolly canon): Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, New York, 1931. Copyright page reads 'First published, 1931' with no later-impression notice. Binding is light gray cloth over magenta paper-covered boards, the spine lettered in magenta, with a black-stained top edge (the record's 'red cloth lettered in black' is incorrect). First-issue dust jacket carries 'A Check List for the Discriminating Reader' printed on the back panel. Faulkner heavily revised the galleys, but the published 1931 text is the standard collected first.

## Is this the true first?
The US Cape and Smith 1931 edition is the true first; the UK Chatto and Windus edition (1931) follows. No precedence question beyond US-first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add impression statements on the copyright page; the Modern Library reissue is a clear 'first thus'. Confirm the 'First published, 1931' statement and the back-panel checklist on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Sanctuary* by William Faulkner a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/sanctuary
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.