The points of issue
US Atheneum first printing dated 1973 on the copyright page with no later-printing statement, illustrations by Alan E. Cober, and a first-state jacket without the Newbery Honor seal and retaining the original price.
Is this the true first?
The Atheneum US 1973 edition is generally taken by collectors as the true first; the Chatto & Windus UK edition also appeared in 1973, so exact month priority is not firmly established, but the US issue carries the collector consensus as the first. This is the second book of the Dark Is Rising sequence and a 1974 Newbery Honor book.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and reprint jackets add the Newbery Honor seal and may state a later printing. Book-club copies carry a blind-stamp to the rear board and lack the original price on the jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Dark Is Rising a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: US Atheneum first printing dated 1973 on the copyright page with no later-printing statement, illustrations by Alan E. Cober, and a first-state jacket without the Newbery Honor seal and retaining the original price.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The Atheneum US 1973 edition is generally taken by collectors as the true first; the Chatto & Windus UK edition also appeared in 1973, so exact month priority is not firmly established, but the US issue carries the collector consensus as the first. This is the second book of the Dark Is Rising seque
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings and reprint jackets add the Newbery Honor seal and may state a later printing. Book-club copies carry a blind-stamp to the rear board and lack the original price on the jacket.
I have a first edition of The Dark Is Rising — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.