# Is "The Birthday Party" by Harold Pinter a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter (Encore Publishing Co. / Methuen, 1959) is identified by: True first is the Encore Publishing Co. True first is the Encore wrappers edition (1959).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the Encore Publishing Co
- (London) edition in stiff printed wrappers, 1959, preceding any Methuen issue
- This was Pinter's first full-length play in print
- The Methuen 1960 hardback was issued as the collection 'The Birthday Party and Other Plays' (not a stand-alone title), so it is both a later printing and a different made-up book
- Publisher imprint reads Encore Publishing Co. / Methuen
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Harold Pinter |
| Publisher | Encore Publishing Co. / Methuen |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the Encore Publishing Co |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first is the Encore Publishing Co. (London) edition in stiff printed wrappers, 1959, preceding any Methuen issue. This was Pinter's first full-length play in print. The Methuen 1960 hardback was issued as the collection 'The Birthday Party and Other Plays' (not a stand-alone title), so it is both a later printing and a different made-up book.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the Encore wrappers edition (1959). The 1960 Methuen hardback is the first appearance in cloth but is the collected volume 'The Birthday Party and Other Plays,' which makes it a separate first-thus rather than simply a hardback of the same book. The play famously flopped in its 1958 premiere, so early printings are scarce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition. Distinguish the Encore wrappers (true first) from the Methuen 1960 collection in cloth; later Methuen impressions add impression statements.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Birthday Party* by Harold Pinter a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-birthday-party
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.