# Is "The Fisher King" by Anthony Powell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Fisher King by Anthony Powell (Heinemann, 1986) is identified by: First edition, first impression; Powell's last novel. UK William Heinemann (London, 1986) is the true first; the US W.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first impression
- Powell's last novel
- Dark blue cloth boards with silver titling to the spine, in a predominantly blue glossy pictorial dust jacket with the printed price present and unclipped on the flap; collation of 255 pages
- A first impression states no later printing
- Publisher imprint reads Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Powell |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first impression |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition, first impression; Powell's last novel. Dark blue cloth boards with silver titling to the spine, in a predominantly blue glossy pictorial dust jacket with the printed price present and unclipped on the flap; collation of 255 pages. A first impression states no later printing.

## Is this the true first?
UK William Heinemann (London, 1986) is the true first; the US W. W. Norton edition also appeared in 1986 but followed the Heinemann.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Fisher King* by Anthony Powell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-fisher-king
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.