The points of issue
Octavo, 279 pp.; cloth with gilt spine lettering; copyright page states 'First published 2005' with the printer's key descending to 1; first-issue dust jacket carries the original UK price unclipped. A Cape signed limited issue also exists.
Is this the true first?
First published by Jonathan Cape in London in February 2005; the US Nan A. Talese / Doubleday edition (289 pp.) also appeared in 2005. Publication across London, New York, and Toronto was near-simultaneous, so the Cape printing is the British first rather than a clear global precedent.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Cape impressions revise the printer's key so the lowest digit is no longer 1.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Saturday a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Octavo, 279 pp.; cloth with gilt spine lettering; copyright page states 'First published 2005' with the printer's key descending to 1; first-issue dust jacket carries the original UK price unclipped. A Cape signed limited issue also exists.
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. First published by Jonathan Cape in London in February 2005; the US Nan A. Talese / Doubleday edition (289 pp.) also appeared in 2005. Publication across London, New York, and Toronto was near-simultaneous, so the Cape printing is the British first rather than a clear global precedent.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Cape impressions revise the printer's key so the lowest digit is no longer 1.
I have a first edition of Saturday — 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.