# Is "The Coming of Bill" by P.G. Wodehouse a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Coming of Bill by P.G. Wodehouse (Boni & Liveright, 1919) is identified by: The true first is the US edition titled Their Mutual Child, published by Boni & Liveright, New York, on 5 August 1919. US Boni & Liveright 'Their Mutual Child' (1919) precedes the UK Jenkins 'The Coming of Bill' (1920) by nearly a year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is the US edition titled Their Mutual Child, published by Boni & Liveright, New York, on 5 August 1919
- The UK edition under the title The Coming of Bill (Herbert Jenkins, London) did not appear until 1 July 1920
- Publisher imprint reads Boni & Liveright
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | P.G. Wodehouse |
| Publisher | Boni & Liveright |
| Year | 1919 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first is the US edition titled Their Mutual Child, published by Boni & Liveright, New York, on 5 August 1919 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first is the US edition titled Their Mutual Child, published by Boni & Liveright, New York, on 5 August 1919. The UK edition under the title The Coming of Bill (Herbert Jenkins, London) did not appear until 1 July 1920.

## Is this the true first?
US Boni & Liveright 'Their Mutual Child' (1919) precedes the UK Jenkins 'The Coming of Bill' (1920) by nearly a year. The title differs between markets; the US title is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Differing US and UK titles for the same work. No book-club issue of the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Coming of Bill* by P.G. Wodehouse a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-coming-of-bill
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.