# Is "Snow" by Orhan Pamuk a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Snow by Orhan Pamuk (Faber and Faber, 2004) is identified by: The true first English edition is the UK Faber and Faber hardback, published 6 May 2004 (ISBN 057121830X), translated by Maureen Freely. The UK Faber 2004 hardback is the first English-language edition; the US Knopf 2004 is the first American edition only, published about three months later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first English edition is the UK Faber and Faber hardback, published 6 May 2004 (ISBN 057121830X), translated by Maureen Freely
- The US Alfred A. Knopf edition (Borzoi Books), translated by the same Maureen Freely, was published roughly three months later in August 2004 and states 'First American Edition' on the copyright page, with a Chip Kidd jacket and red boards quarter-bound in black cloth (ISBN 0375406972)
- By Knopf's own convention, the wording 'First American Edition' rather than 'First Edition' signals that the book had already been published abroad, confirming that the UK Faber edition precedes it
- Publisher imprint reads Faber and Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Orhan Pamuk |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first English edition is the UK Faber and Faber hardback, published 6 May 2004 (ISBN 057121830X), translated by Maureen Freely |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The true first English edition is the UK Faber and Faber hardback, published 6 May 2004 (ISBN 057121830X), translated by Maureen Freely. The US Alfred A. Knopf edition (Borzoi Books), translated by the same Maureen Freely, was published roughly three months later in August 2004 and states 'First American Edition' on the copyright page, with a Chip Kidd jacket and red boards quarter-bound in black cloth (ISBN 0375406972). By Knopf's own convention, the wording 'First American Edition' rather than 'First Edition' signals that the book had already been published abroad, confirming that the UK Faber edition precedes it.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Faber 2004 hardback is the first English-language edition; the US Knopf 2004 is the first American edition only, published about three months later. The Turkish 'Kar' (Iletisim, 2002) is the true first in any language.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No club edition is involved. The absolute true first is the 2002 Turkish edition. Among English printings, the UK Faber hardback precedes the US Knopf 'First American Edition,' reversing the common assumption that the Knopf is the English true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Snow* by Orhan Pamuk a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/snow
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.