# Is "The Bookshop" by Penelope Fitzgerald a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald (Gerald Duckworth & Co., 1978) is identified by: First published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. The UK Duckworth edition (1978) is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition is far later (1997).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. in 1978, octavo, roughly 118 pages, in green boards titled in gilt
- The dust jacket was illustrated by Joan Ogden and carries the original printed price; an unclipped flap is preferred
- The spine of this jacket is notoriously prone to sunning, so a bright, unfaded spine is uncommon
- States 'First published 1978' with no later-impression line
- Booker-shortlisted in 1978 and one of the scarcer shortlist titles in fine jacketed condition
- Publisher imprint reads Gerald Duckworth & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Penelope Fitzgerald |
| Publisher | Gerald Duckworth & Co. |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. in 1978, octavo, roughly 118 pages, in green boards titled in gilt |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First published by Gerald Duckworth & Co. in 1978, octavo, roughly 118 pages, in green boards titled in gilt. The dust jacket was illustrated by Joan Ogden and carries the original printed price; an unclipped flap is preferred. The spine of this jacket is notoriously prone to sunning, so a bright, unfaded spine is uncommon. States 'First published 1978' with no later-impression line. Booker-shortlisted in 1978 and one of the scarcer shortlist titles in fine jacketed condition.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Duckworth edition (1978) is the true first; the US Houghton Mifflin edition is far later (1997). The UK strongly precedes.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition; later Flamingo and Mariner paperbacks are reprints. A first shows green gilt-titled boards, the Joan Ogden jacket with printed price, and the single 'First published 1978' statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Bookshop* by Penelope Fitzgerald a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-bookshop
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.