# Is "The Confessions of Nat Turner" by William Styron a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron (Random House, 1967) is identified by: Random House first edition has First Edition stated on the copyright page (Random House of this era used the statement without a number line), in first-issue cloth and jacket bearing the printed price with a the printed price dating code on the front flap. The US Random House 1967 trade printing is the first edition; a signed limited issue was produced separately and precedes the trade as a special issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Random House first edition has First Edition stated on the copyright page (Random House of this era used the statement without a number line), in first-issue cloth and jacket bearing the printed price with a the printed price dating code on the front flap
- A separate signed limited edition also exists
- Won the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
- Publisher imprint reads Random House
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | William Styron |
| Publisher | Random House |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Random House first edition has First Edition stated on the copyright page (Random House of this era used the statement without a number… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Random House first edition has First Edition stated on the copyright page (Random House of this era used the statement without a number line), in first-issue cloth and jacket bearing the printed price with a the printed price dating code on the front flap. A separate signed limited edition also exists. Won the 1968 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

## Is this the true first?
The US Random House 1967 trade printing is the first edition; a signed limited issue was produced separately and precedes the trade as a special issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the First Edition statement, carry a rear-board blind-stamp, and have an unpriced or clipped jacket. Book-club copies are very common.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Confessions of Nat Turner* by William Styron a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-confessions-of-nat-turner
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.