# Is "The Enchantress of Florence" by Salman Rushdie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie (Jonathan Cape, 2008) is identified by: First UK trade edition in boards with gilt-lettered spine and dust jacket; complete number line descending to 1. Jonathan Cape (London) first edition published 11 April 2008, preceding the US Random House edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK trade edition in boards with gilt-lettered spine and dust jacket; complete number line descending to 1
- A separate signed and numbered limited issue was also produced
- The exact trade-jacket price could not be independently confirmed, so no specific figure is asserted here
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Salman Rushdie |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK trade edition in boards with gilt-lettered spine and dust jacket; complete number line descending to 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First UK trade edition in boards with gilt-lettered spine and dust jacket; complete number line descending to 1. A separate signed and numbered limited issue was also produced. The exact trade-jacket price could not be independently confirmed, so no specific figure is asserted here.

## Is this the true first?
Jonathan Cape (London) first edition published 11 April 2008, preceding the US Random House edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings note the impression on the copyright page; the true first carries the full number line ending in 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Enchantress of Florence* by Salman Rushdie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-enchantress-of-florence
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.