# Is "Slow River" by Nicola Griffith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Slow River by Nicola Griffith (Del Rey / Ballantine, 1995) is identified by: Del Rey / Ballantine hardcover, New York, 1995; octavo, bound in cloth-backed boards. The US Del Rey/Ballantine 1995 hardcover is the true first, stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page and carrying the complete number line; octavo in cloth-backed boards.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Del Rey / Ballantine hardcover, New York, 1995; octavo, bound in cloth-backed boards
- The first printing carries the 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1, in a priced dust jacket
- An advance uncorrected proof in wrappers precedes trade copies but is not the published first
- The novel went on to win the Nebula Award for Best Novel
- Publisher imprint reads Del Rey / Ballantine
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Nicola Griffith |
| Publisher | Del Rey / Ballantine |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Del Rey / Ballantine hardcover, New York, 1995; octavo, bound in cloth-backed boards |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Del Rey / Ballantine hardcover, New York, 1995; octavo, bound in cloth-backed boards. The first printing carries the 'First Edition' statement on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1, in a priced dust jacket. An advance uncorrected proof in wrappers precedes trade copies but is not the published first. The novel went on to win the Nebula Award for Best Novel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Del Rey/Ballantine 1995 hardcover is the true first, stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page and carrying the complete number line; octavo in cloth-backed boards.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition: no price on the jacket flap, a blind-stamp on the rear board, and it lacks the full number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Slow River* by Nicola Griffith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/slow-river
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.