# Is "Solar" by Ian McEwan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Solar by Ian McEwan (Jonathan Cape, 2010) is identified by: First UK edition, Jonathan Cape, London, 2010 (ISBN 0-224-09049-6). The UK Jonathan Cape edition (2010) precedes the US Nan A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition, Jonathan Cape, London, 2010 (ISBN 0-224-09049-6)
- Black cloth boards with gilt spine titling, black endpapers, and 'First published in 2010' on the copyright page above a full number line ending in 1, issued in a priced dust jacket (the printed price should be present on the flap)
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ian McEwan |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition, Jonathan Cape, London, 2010 (ISBN 0-224-09049-6) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First UK edition, Jonathan Cape, London, 2010 (ISBN 0-224-09049-6). Black cloth boards with gilt spine titling, black endpapers, and 'First published in 2010' on the copyright page above a full number line ending in 1, issued in a priced dust jacket (the printed price should be present on the flap).

## Is this the true first?
The UK Jonathan Cape edition (2010) precedes the US Nan A. Talese/Doubleday edition (2010); the US issue states 'First United States Edition' on its copyright page and is a separate first American printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints and later impressions show the impression number in place of the 1 in the number line. A signed/numbered limited issue of 100 copies exists in full black morocco with an eclipse motif and a matching slipcase — distinct from the standard black-cloth trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Solar* by Ian McEwan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/solar
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.