# Is "The First Person and Other Stories" by Ali Smith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The First Person and Other Stories by Ali Smith (Hamish Hamilton, 2008) is identified by: Story collection, octavo of 206 pages, ISBN 0241144264 (9780241144268). The UK Hamish Hamilton edition of 2008 is the true first and precedes the US Pantheon edition of 2009.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Story collection, octavo of 206 pages, ISBN 0241144264
- Bound in black cloth boards with silver-stamped spine lettering and burnt-orange endpapers
- Issued in a priced pictorial dust jacket, the printed cover price present and unclipped on a first-state jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Hamish Hamilton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ali Smith |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Story collection, octavo of 206 pages, ISBN 0241144264 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Story collection, octavo of 206 pages, ISBN 0241144264 (9780241144268). Bound in black cloth boards with silver-stamped spine lettering and burnt-orange endpapers. Issued in a priced pictorial dust jacket, the printed cover price present and unclipped on a first-state jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Hamish Hamilton edition of 2008 is the true first and precedes the US Pantheon edition of 2009.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints and later impressions add the impression statement on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The First Person and Other Stories* by Ali Smith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-first-person-and-other-stories
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.