# Is "The Accidental" by Ali Smith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Accidental by Ali Smith (Hamish Hamilton, 2005) is identified by: First edition published by Hamish Hamilton (London), 26 May 2005 (ISBN 0241141907 / 9780241141908), octavo, 306 pp. The UK Hamish Hamilton edition of 2005 is the true first and precedes the US Pantheon edition of January 2006.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition published by Hamish Hamilton (London), 26 May 2005 (ISBN 0241141907 / 9780241141908), octavo, 306 pp
- The first printing is identified by a number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Cloth boards with a gilt-stamped spine; the first-state dust jacket carries its printed price on the front flap
- Won the Whitbread Novel Award and was Booker-shortlisted
- Publisher imprint reads Hamish Hamilton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ali Smith |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition published by Hamish Hamilton (London), 26 May 2005 (ISBN 0241141907 / 9780241141908), octavo, 306 pp |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition published by Hamish Hamilton (London), 26 May 2005 (ISBN 0241141907 / 9780241141908), octavo, 306 pp. The first printing is identified by a number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Cloth boards with a gilt-stamped spine; the first-state dust jacket carries its printed price on the front flap. Won the Whitbread Novel Award and was Booker-shortlisted.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Hamish Hamilton edition of 2005 is the true first and precedes the US Pantheon edition of January 2006.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints and later impressions state the impression on the copyright page and advance the number line so it no longer ends in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Accidental* by Ali Smith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-accidental
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.