# Is "The Book of Imaginary Beings" by Jorge Luis Borges a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges (E.P. Dutton, 1969) is identified by: Dutton edition, New York, 1969. This is the first English-language edition, newly revised and expanded by Borges from the Spanish El libro de los seres imaginarios.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First E.P. Dutton edition, New York, 1969
- Revised, enlarged, and translated into English by Norman Thomas di Giovanni in collaboration with Borges (with Margarita Guerrero as co-author of the original)
- Red cloth with gilt spine lettering
- Publisher imprint reads E.P. Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jorge Luis Borges |
| Publisher | E.P. Dutton |
| Year | 1969 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First E.P. Dutton edition, New York, 1969 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First E.P. Dutton edition, New York, 1969. Revised, enlarged, and translated into English by Norman Thomas di Giovanni in collaboration with Borges (with Margarita Guerrero as co-author of the original). Red cloth with gilt spine lettering.

## Is this the true first?
This is the first English-language edition, newly revised and expanded by Borges from the Spanish El libro de los seres imaginarios. The UK edition follows in 1970.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Confirm a true first by the 1969 date and absence of later-printing indicators; do not rely on an assumed blind-stamp, which is not a documented point for this title.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Book of Imaginary Beings* by Jorge Luis Borges a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-book-of-imaginary-beings
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.