# Is "The Embassy of Cambodia" by Zadie Smith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Embassy of Cambodia by Zadie Smith (Hamish Hamilton, 2013) is identified by: Single short story (first published in The New Yorker) issued as a slim standalone hardcover of 80 pp.; ISBN 9780241146521. UK Hamish Hamilton hardcover (7 November 2013) precedes the US Penguin edition (2013).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Single short story (first published in The New Yorker) issued as a slim standalone hardcover of 80 pp.; ISBN 9780241146521
- First printing indicated by a full number line counting down to 1 on the copyright page
- Published 7 November 2013
- Publisher imprint reads Hamish Hamilton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Zadie Smith |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Year | 2013 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Single short story (first published in The New Yorker) issued as a slim standalone hardcover of 80 pp.; ISBN 9780241146521 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Single short story (first published in The New Yorker) issued as a slim standalone hardcover of 80 pp.; ISBN 9780241146521. First printing indicated by a full number line counting down to 1 on the copyright page. Published 7 November 2013.

## Is this the true first?
UK Hamish Hamilton hardcover (7 November 2013) precedes the US Penguin edition (2013).

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Embassy of Cambodia* by Zadie Smith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-embassy-of-cambodia
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.