# Is "Smith of Wootton Major" by J.R.R. Tolkien a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Smith of Wootton Major by J.R.R. Tolkien (George Allen & Unwin, 1967) is identified by: First impression, published 9 November 1967; illustrated by Pauline Baynes; pictorial dust jacket; first-impression statement on verso. UK Allen & Unwin is the true first: published 9 November 1967, ahead of the US Houghton Mifflin edition later that year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First impression, published 9 November 1967; illustrated by Pauline Baynes; pictorial dust jacket; first-impression statement on verso
- First-impression sheets exist in two binding states: the earlier preferred state has a solid black case without the white borders at the top and bottom edges and spine seen on the later state
- Publisher imprint reads George Allen & Unwin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J.R.R. Tolkien |
| Publisher | George Allen & Unwin |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First impression, published 9 November 1967; illustrated by Pauline Baynes; pictorial dust jacket; first-impression statement on verso |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First impression, published 9 November 1967; illustrated by Pauline Baynes; pictorial dust jacket; first-impression statement on verso. First-impression sheets exist in two binding states: the earlier preferred state has a solid black case without the white borders at the top and bottom edges and spine seen on the later state.

## Is this the true first?
UK Allen & Unwin is the true first: published 9 November 1967, ahead of the US Houghton Mifflin edition later that year.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The extended edition edited by Verlyn Flieger (2005) is a distinct later text, not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Smith of Wootton Major* by J.R.R. Tolkien a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/smith-of-wootton-major
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.