# Is "Staring at the Sun" by Julian Barnes a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Staring at the Sun by Julian Barnes (Jonathan Cape, 1986) is identified by: First printing bound in black cloth boards with gilt titling to the spine. UK Jonathan Cape (1986) is the true first; the US Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing bound in black cloth boards with gilt titling to the spine
- The copyright page carries the statement First published 1986 with no later impressions listed
- The original pictorial dust jacket has a sunset-over-sea design credited to Cathy Wood and should retain its printed net price to the lower flap
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Julian Barnes |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing bound in black cloth boards with gilt titling to the spine |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing bound in black cloth boards with gilt titling to the spine. The copyright page carries the statement First published 1986 with no later impressions listed. The original pictorial dust jacket has a sunset-over-sea design credited to Cathy Wood and should retain its printed net price to the lower flap.

## Is this the true first?
UK Jonathan Cape (1986) is the true first; the US Alfred A. Knopf edition followed in 1987. A signed limited issue of 150 numbered copies was also produced alongside the trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition is relevant here; later impressions are identified by the copyright page rather than a number line, the first stating only First published 1986.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Staring at the Sun* by Julian Barnes a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/staring-at-the-sun
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.