The points of issue
True first states 'First published 1982' with no additional printing line on the copyright page; publisher's boards with gilt spine lettering and plain endpapers, in the first-issue Quentin Blake pictorial jacket with the original printed UK price (£6.50) to the front flap.
Is this the true first?
UK Jonathan Cape 1982 is the true first; the US Farrar, Straus & Giroux edition is a later, separate issue. Quentin Blake illustrates throughout.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Club editions typically bear a blind-stamp and lack the printed jacket price, and later printings state a reprint date; the FSG US edition is not the true first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The BFG a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: True first states 'First published 1982' with no additional printing line on the copyright page; publisher's boards with gilt spine lettering and plain endpapers, in the first-issue Quentin Blake pictorial jacket with the original printed UK price (£6.50) to the front flap.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. UK Jonathan Cape 1982 is the true first; the US Farrar, Straus & Giroux edition is a later, separate issue. Quentin Blake illustrates throughout.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Club editions typically bear a blind-stamp and lack the printed jacket price, and later printings state a reprint date; the FSG US edition is not the true first.
I have a first edition of The BFG — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.