# Is "Something to Answer For" by P. H. Newby a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Something to Answer For by P. H. Newby (Faber and Faber, 1968) is identified by: First UK edition, Faber & Faber 1968. UK Faber edition is the true first; the US edition (J.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition, Faber & Faber 1968. 'First published in mcmlxviii'
- on the verso with no later impression statement; original boards in dust jacket
- Front-flap printed price (the printed price)
- Won the inaugural Booker Prize (awarded 1969 for 1968 publication)
- Publisher imprint reads Faber and Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | P. H. Newby |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition, Faber & Faber 1968. 'First published in mcmlxviii' |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First UK edition, Faber & Faber 1968. 'First published in mcmlxviii' (1968) on the verso with no later impression statement; original boards in dust jacket. Front-flap printed price (the printed price). Won the inaugural Booker Prize (awarded 1969 for 1968 publication).

## Is this the true first?
UK Faber edition is the true first; the US edition (J. B. Lippincott, Philadelphia) followed in 1969. One of the scarcer Booker winners as a first, as Newby was not widely collected at publication.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition of note; later impressions state additional printings on the verso. The Lippincott US edition is later and distinguished by its US imprint.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Something to Answer For* by P. H. Newby a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/something-to-answer-for
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.