# Is "Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life" by C.S. Lewis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life by C.S. Lewis (Geoffrey Bles, 1955) is identified by: First UK edition, Geoffrey Bles, London, first published September 1955 (a second impression followed in November 1955), printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd, Frome; octavo, 224 pp. The UK Geoffrey Bles printing of 1955 is the true first edition, with the US Harcourt, Brace edition following in 1956.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition, Geoffrey Bles, London, first published September 1955 (a second impression followed in November 1955), printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd, Frome; octavo, 224 pp
- Bound in silver-grey cloth boards with silver spine lettering on a golden-yellow panel, and no later-impression statement on the first
- The first-state dust jacket was designed by John R. Biggs; the front flap should retain its printed retail price (an unclipped flap indicates first state, price present rather than any figure), whereas the second-impression jacket adds printed review quotations
- Publisher imprint reads Geoffrey Bles
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.S. Lewis |
| Publisher | Geoffrey Bles |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition, Geoffrey Bles, London, first published September 1955 (a second impression followed in November 1955), printed in Great… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First UK edition, Geoffrey Bles, London, first published September 1955 (a second impression followed in November 1955), printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd, Frome; octavo, 224 pp. Bound in silver-grey cloth boards with silver spine lettering on a golden-yellow panel, and no later-impression statement on the first. The first-state dust jacket was designed by John R. Biggs; the front flap should retain its printed retail price (an unclipped flap indicates first state, price present rather than any figure), whereas the second-impression jacket adds printed review quotations.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Geoffrey Bles printing of 1955 is the true first edition, with the US Harcourt, Brace edition following in 1956.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The November 1955 second impression carries an impression statement and a review-quoting jacket; later reprints differ from the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life* by C.S. Lewis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/surprised-by-joy-the-shape-of-my-early-life
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.