# Is "Sweet Tooth" by Ian McEwan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan (Jonathan Cape, 2012) is identified by: First edition, first impression published by Jonathan Cape, London, 2012 (ISBN 9780224097376). The UK Jonathan Cape edition (2012) is the true first, preceding the US Nan A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first impression published by Jonathan Cape, London, 2012 (ISBN 9780224097376)
- Bound in boards with gilt spine lettering, issued in the pictorial dust jacket; the jacket should retain its printed cover price and be unclipped for a true first-issue example
- The first impression is identified by a complete descending number line on the copyright page ending in 1, with no impression statement
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ian McEwan |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 2012 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first impression published by Jonathan Cape, London, 2012 (ISBN 9780224097376) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, first impression published by Jonathan Cape, London, 2012 (ISBN 9780224097376). Bound in boards with gilt spine lettering, issued in the pictorial dust jacket; the jacket should retain its printed cover price and be unclipped for a true first-issue example. The first impression is identified by a complete descending number line on the copyright page ending in 1, with no impression statement.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Jonathan Cape edition (2012) is the true first, preceding the US Nan A. Talese/Doubleday edition (also 2012). Note the separately published London Review Bookshop signed limited edition of 100 copies (75 quarter-bound in leather numbered 1-75, 25 fully leather-bound numbered i-xxv), issued in association with Cape, which is a distinct limited issue rather than the trade first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions state the impression number or carry a number line no longer ending in 1; there is no significant book-club issue affecting identification.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Sweet Tooth* by Ian McEwan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/sweet-tooth
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.