# Is "Sing, Unburied, Sing" by Jesmyn Ward a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward (Scribner, 2017) is identified by: Copyright page reads 'First Scribner hardcover edition September 2017' with a full number line descending to 1 and the Scribner colophon; a novel of about 289 pages, quarter-bound in paper and cloth over boards with a stamped spine. The US Scribner edition (2017) is the true first; it won the National Book Award, Ward's second in that category.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page reads 'First Scribner hardcover edition September 2017' with a full number line descending to 1 and the Scribner colophon; a novel of about 289 pages, quarter-bound in paper and cloth over boards with a stamped spine
- A first-printing dust jacket retains its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Scribner
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jesmyn Ward |
| Publisher | Scribner |
| Year | 2017 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page reads 'First Scribner hardcover edition September 2017' with a full number line descending to 1 and the Scribner colophon; a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page reads 'First Scribner hardcover edition September 2017' with a full number line descending to 1 and the Scribner colophon; a novel of about 289 pages, quarter-bound in paper and cloth over boards with a stamped spine. A first-printing dust jacket retains its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
The US Scribner edition (2017) is the true first; it won the National Book Award, Ward's second in that category. The UK Bloomsbury edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No separate book-club edition of note; later printings drop the trailing low digits from the number line and jackets often add National Book Award winner banners and blurbs.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Sing, Unburied, Sing* by Jesmyn Ward a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/sing-unburied-sing
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.