# Is "The City & the City" by China Miéville a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The City & the City by China Miéville (Macmillan, 2009) is identified by: UK Macmillan hardcover, published 15 May 2009, is the true first: priced dust jacket, no later-printing statement. The UK Macmillan hardcover (15 May 2009) is the true first, slightly preceding the US Del Rey 2009 hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Macmillan hardcover, published 15 May 2009, is the true first: priced dust jacket, no later-printing statement
- The US Del Rey hardcover
- is near-simultaneous and carries a full descending number line (9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1)
- Winner of the Hugo, Arthur C. Clarke, BSFA and Locus (Fantasy) awards
- Signed UK first editions exist from launch
- Publisher imprint reads Macmillan
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | China Miéville |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
| Year | 2009 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Macmillan hardcover, published 15 May 2009, is the true first: priced dust jacket, no later-printing statement |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Macmillan hardcover, published 15 May 2009, is the true first: priced dust jacket, no later-printing statement. The US Del Rey hardcover (2009) is near-simultaneous and carries a full descending number line (9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1). Winner of the Hugo, Arthur C. Clarke, BSFA and Locus (Fantasy) awards. Signed UK first editions exist from launch.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Macmillan hardcover (15 May 2009) is the true first, slightly preceding the US Del Rey 2009 hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A US book-club edition exists: typically no price on the jacket and a blind-stamp on the rear board, lacking the full number line. The principal point is precedence of the UK edition over the US.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The City & the City* by China Miéville a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-city-the-city
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.