# Is "The Beginning of Spring" by Penelope Fitzgerald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Beginning of Spring by Penelope Fitzgerald (William Collins, 1988) is identified by: First printing states 'First published 1988' by William Collins Sons, London (ISBN 0002232618). The UK Collins edition (1988) is the true first; the US Henry Holt edition follows in 1989, so the UK printing precedes.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states 'First published 1988' by William Collins Sons, London (ISBN 0002232618)
- Shortlisted for the 1988 Booker Prize
- Issued in publisher's boards in an illustrated dust jacket bearing the printed UK price, which should be present on a first-issue jacket
- Publisher imprint reads William Collins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Penelope Fitzgerald |
| Publisher | William Collins |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing states 'First published 1988' by William Collins Sons, London (ISBN 0002232618) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing states 'First published 1988' by William Collins Sons, London (ISBN 0002232618). Shortlisted for the 1988 Booker Prize. Issued in publisher's boards in an illustrated dust jacket bearing the printed UK price, which should be present on a first-issue jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Collins edition (1988) is the true first; the US Henry Holt edition follows in 1989, so the UK printing precedes.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition; confirm the first by the 'First published 1988' statement with no later impression line added.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Beginning of Spring* by Penelope Fitzgerald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-beginning-of-spring
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.