# Is "Ship of Fools" by Katherine Anne Porter a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter (Atlantic-Little, Brown, 1962) is identified by: Issued as 'An Atlantic Monthly Press Book' by Little, Brown; 'first edition' stated on the copyright page; yellow cloth boards with red titling to spine and a facsimile signature on the front board; 497 pp.; first-issue dust jacket carrying the original price. US Atlantic-Little, Brown is the true first; the UK Secker & Warburg edition (1962) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued as 'An Atlantic Monthly Press Book' by Little, Brown; 'first edition' stated on the copyright page; yellow cloth boards with red titling to spine and a facsimile signature on the front board
- 497 pp.; first-issue dust jacket carrying the original price
- Porter's only novel
- Publisher imprint reads Atlantic-Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Katherine Anne Porter |
| Publisher | Atlantic-Little, Brown |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued as 'An Atlantic Monthly Press Book' by Little, Brown; 'first edition' stated on the copyright page; yellow cloth boards with red… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Issued as 'An Atlantic Monthly Press Book' by Little, Brown; 'first edition' stated on the copyright page; yellow cloth boards with red titling to spine and a facsimile signature on the front board; 497 pp.; first-issue dust jacket carrying the original price. Porter's only novel.

## Is this the true first?
US Atlantic-Little, Brown is the true first; the UK Secker & Warburg edition (1962) follows. A signed limited edition was also issued and is a parallel premium state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Because the book was a major bestseller, book-club copies are common: a 'Book Club Edition' notation on the jacket flap, no printed jacket price, and a blind-stamp or gutter dot on the rear board. The stated 'first edition' plus the price-intact first-issue jacket is the tell.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ship of Fools* by Katherine Anne Porter a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ship-of-fools
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.