# Is "The Alteration" by Kingsley Amis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Alteration by Kingsley Amis (Jonathan Cape, 1976) is identified by: Alternative-history novel; winner of the John W. UK Jonathan Cape (London) 1976 is the true first; the first American edition followed from Viking Press (New York) in 1977 and does not have priority.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alternative-history novel; winner of the John W. Campbell Memorial Award
- The true first is Jonathan Cape, London, 1976: light-green cloth boards with gilt spine lettering and the top edge stained/sprayed green, 208 pp, ISBN 0-224-01305-5, the copyright leaf carrying 'First published 1976' with no later-printing line
- The original dust jacket is illustrated by Tom Adams, with the price present at the front flap (unclipped on a first-issue jacket)
- Confirmed against independent UK dealer descriptions
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kingsley Amis |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alternative-history novel; winner of the John W. Campbell Memorial Award |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alternative-history novel; winner of the John W. Campbell Memorial Award (1977). The true first is Jonathan Cape, London, 1976: light-green cloth boards with gilt spine lettering and the top edge stained/sprayed green, 208 pp, ISBN 0-224-01305-5, the copyright leaf carrying 'First published 1976' with no later-printing line. The original dust jacket is illustrated by Tom Adams, with the price present at the front flap (unclipped on a first-issue jacket). Confirmed against independent UK dealer descriptions.

## Is this the true first?
UK Jonathan Cape (London) 1976 is the true first; the first American edition followed from Viking Press (New York) in 1977 and does not have priority.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Watch for later book-club reprints (no printed jacket price, a blindstamp to the rear board, 'Book Club Edition' at the jacket flap); the Cape first retains the priced Tom Adams jacket and shows 'First published 1976.'

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Alteration* by Kingsley Amis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-alteration
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.