# Is "Southways" by Erskine Caldwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Southways by Erskine Caldwell (The Viking Press, 1938) is identified by: First printing, The Viking Press, New York, 1938, a collection of roughly sixteen short stories running about 206 pages. US first edition (Viking, June 1938); a UK edition followed from Secker in 1938.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing, The Viking Press, New York, 1938, a collection of roughly sixteen short stories running about 206 pages
- The copyright page states 'Published in June 1938' with no later printings noted, which identifies the first printing
- Bound in coarsely woven slate-blue cloth, the spine and upper cover ruled in red and lettered in black, with a stained top edge; the volume is dedicated to Margaret Bourke-White
- The printed jacket price should be present on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads The Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erskine Caldwell |
| Publisher | The Viking Press |
| Year | 1938 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing, The Viking Press, New York, 1938, a collection of roughly sixteen short stories running about 206 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing, The Viking Press, New York, 1938, a collection of roughly sixteen short stories running about 206 pages. The copyright page states 'Published in June 1938' with no later printings noted, which identifies the first printing. Bound in coarsely woven slate-blue cloth, the spine and upper cover ruled in red and lettered in black, with a stained top edge; the volume is dedicated to Margaret Bourke-White. The printed jacket price should be present on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition (Viking, June 1938); a UK edition followed from Secker in 1938.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and reprints exist and will note additional printings on the copyright page; the true first is the June 1938 Viking issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Southways* by Erskine Caldwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/southways
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.