# Is "The Comforters" by Muriel Spark a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Comforters by Muriel Spark (Macmillan, 1957) is identified by: London: Macmillan, 1957 (published February 1957). The UK Macmillan edition (1957) is the true first, preceding the US Lippincott edition of the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- London: Macmillan, 1957 (published February 1957)
- Spark's first novel
- Cloth binding; first-issue dust jacket bearing Evelyn Waugh's advance praise and priced to the flap, unclipped
- Copyright page states 'First published 1957' with no later impression line
- Publisher imprint reads Macmillan
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Muriel Spark |
| Publisher | Macmillan |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | London: Macmillan, 1957 (published February 1957) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
London: Macmillan, 1957 (published February 1957). Spark's first novel. Cloth binding; first-issue dust jacket bearing Evelyn Waugh's advance praise and priced to the flap, unclipped. Copyright page states 'First published 1957' with no later impression line.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Macmillan edition (1957) is the true first, preceding the US Lippincott edition of the same year.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add a printing or impression statement to the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Comforters* by Muriel Spark a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-comforters
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.