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

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Soursweet by Ian McEwan (Faber & Faber, 1988) is identified by: Screenplay adapted from Timothy Mo's novel 'Sour Sweet' (1982); Faber & Faber paperback original in pictorial printed wrappers, roughly 83 pages with some black-and-white film stills, and a preface by McEwan. The Faber paperback original in wrappers (1988) is the true first; the film also dates to 1988.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Screenplay adapted from Timothy Mo's novel 'Sour Sweet'
- Faber & Faber paperback original in pictorial printed wrappers, roughly 83 pages with some black-and-white film stills, and a preface by McEwan
- The copyright page reads 'First published in 1988'
- No hardcover was issued; on an unclipped copy the printed price should be present on the wrapper
- Publisher imprint reads Faber & Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ian McEwan |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Screenplay adapted from Timothy Mo's novel 'Sour Sweet' |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Screenplay adapted from Timothy Mo's novel 'Sour Sweet' (1982); Faber & Faber paperback original in pictorial printed wrappers, roughly 83 pages with some black-and-white film stills, and a preface by McEwan. The copyright page reads 'First published in 1988'. No hardcover was issued; on an unclipped copy the printed price should be present on the wrapper.

## Is this the true first?
The Faber paperback original in wrappers (1988) is the true first; the film also dates to 1988.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

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