# Is "Sexing the Cherry" by Jeanette Winterson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson (Bloomsbury, 1989) is identified by: First UK hardcover, Bloomsbury 1989, stating 'First published 1989' on the copyright page, about 160 pages on cream paper. The UK Bloomsbury 1989 hardcover is the true first; the US Atlantic Monthly Press edition followed in 1990, so the UK precedes.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK hardcover, Bloomsbury 1989, stating 'First published 1989' on the copyright page, about 160 pages on cream paper
- Bound in dark blue boards with gilt lettering to the spine and gilt decoration to the front cover, and issued with an integral blue silk ribbon place-marker
- The illustrated dust jacket should retain its printed price on the flap and be unclipped
- Won the E.M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters
- Publisher imprint reads Bloomsbury
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jeanette Winterson |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK hardcover, Bloomsbury 1989, stating 'First published 1989' on the copyright page, about 160 pages on cream paper |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First UK hardcover, Bloomsbury 1989, stating 'First published 1989' on the copyright page, about 160 pages on cream paper. Bound in dark blue boards with gilt lettering to the spine and gilt decoration to the front cover, and issued with an integral blue silk ribbon place-marker. The illustrated dust jacket should retain its printed price on the flap and be unclipped. Won the E.M. Forster Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Bloomsbury 1989 hardcover is the true first; the US Atlantic Monthly Press edition followed in 1990, so the UK precedes.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition. Confirm the 'First published 1989' statement, the dark blue boards with gilt spine and front-cover decoration, and the integral blue silk marker.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Sexing the Cherry* by Jeanette Winterson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/sexing-the-cherry
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.