# Is "The Game" by A.S. Byatt a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Game by A.S. Byatt (Chatto & Windus, 1967) is identified by: Byatt's second novel, an octavo of roughly 286 pages. UK Chatto & Windus (1967) is the true first; the US Scribner edition followed, its copyright page bearing the code 'A-2.68' (a February 1968 printing date), so US copies are commonly dated 1968 though some dealers catalogue 1967.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Byatt's second novel, an octavo of roughly 286 pages
- First published 1967 by Chatto & Windus (London): red cloth boards with gilt lettering to the spine, issued in the publisher's patterned dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Chatto & Windus
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | A.S. Byatt |
| Publisher | Chatto & Windus |
| Year | 1967 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Byatt's second novel, an octavo of roughly 286 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Byatt's second novel, an octavo of roughly 286 pages. First published 1967 by Chatto & Windus (London): red cloth boards with gilt lettering to the spine, issued in the publisher's patterned dust jacket. Scarce.

## Is this the true first?
UK Chatto & Windus (1967) is the true first; the US Scribner edition followed, its copyright page bearing the code 'A-2.68' (a February 1968 printing date), so US copies are commonly dated 1968 though some dealers catalogue 1967. UK precedes either way.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Game* by A.S. Byatt a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-game
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.