# Is "The Daughter of Time" by Josephine Tey a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (Peter Davies, 1951) is identified by: London: Peter Davies, 1951; 222 pp in publisher's red cloth lettered in black. UK Peter Davies 1951 is the true first and precedes the first American edition (New York: Macmillan, 1952 — title page dated 1952, copyright page dated 1951, jacket design by Leo Manso).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- London: Peter Davies, 1951
- 222 pp in publisher's red cloth lettered in black
- The first printing's copyright page reads 'First Published June 1951' with no reprint lines beneath it — Peter Davies added dated reprint notices (July 1951, October 1951, September 1952) to later impressions, so any reprint line rules a copy out
- The first-issue dust jacket is unclipped with the original price present at the lower flap
- Publisher imprint reads Peter Davies
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Josephine Tey |
| Publisher | Peter Davies |
| Year | 1951 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | London: Peter Davies, 1951 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
London: Peter Davies, 1951; 222 pp in publisher's red cloth lettered in black. The first printing's copyright page reads 'First Published June 1951' with no reprint lines beneath it — Peter Davies added dated reprint notices (July 1951, October 1951, September 1952) to later impressions, so any reprint line rules a copy out. The first-issue dust jacket is unclipped with the original price present at the lower flap.

## Is this the true first?
UK Peter Davies 1951 is the true first and precedes the first American edition (New York: Macmillan, 1952 — title page dated 1952, copyright page dated 1951, jacket design by Leo Manso). Both editions are collected; the London edition takes precedence. It was Tey's last novel published in her lifetime.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Peter Davies reprints self-identify with dated 'reprinted' lines under the 'First Published June 1951' statement; a price-clipped jacket cannot be confirmed as first issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Daughter of Time* by Josephine Tey a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-daughter-of-time
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.