# Is "The Drunk in the Furnace" by W.S. Merwin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Drunk in the Furnace by W.S. Merwin (Rupert Hart-Davis, 1960) is identified by: Merwin's fourth collection. UK Rupert Hart-Davis, 1960, is the first hardbound edition and is the collectible true first; the same-year US Macmillan edition was a paperback original, not a hardcover first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Merwin's fourth collection
- The London Rupert Hart-Davis edition, 1960, is the first hardbound edition and the true first, printed by the Windmill Press, Kingswood, Surrey
- The New York Macmillan edition of 1960 was issued as a paperbound original, so the Hart-Davis hardcover has clear format precedence as the first hardback
- Identified by the 1960 Hart-Davis imprint in cloth with dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Rupert Hart-Davis
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W.S. Merwin |
| Publisher | Rupert Hart-Davis |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Merwin's fourth collection |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Merwin's fourth collection. The London Rupert Hart-Davis edition, 1960, is the first hardbound edition and the true first, printed by the Windmill Press, Kingswood, Surrey. The New York Macmillan edition of 1960 was issued as a paperbound original, so the Hart-Davis hardcover has clear format precedence as the first hardback. Identified by the 1960 Hart-Davis imprint in cloth with dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
UK Rupert Hart-Davis, 1960, is the first hardbound edition and is the collectible true first; the same-year US Macmillan edition was a paperback original, not a hardcover first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Drunk in the Furnace* by W.S. Merwin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-drunk-in-the-furnace
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.