# Is "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (IndiaInk, 1997) is identified by: The true first is the IndiaInk edition (New Delhi, 1997), which precedes the UK Flamingo/HarperCollins 1997. The IndiaInk (India) 1997 edition is generally taken as the true first, preceding the Flamingo London 1997 (first UK trade) and Random House New York 1997 (first US).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is the IndiaInk edition (New Delhi, 1997), which precedes the UK Flamingo/HarperCollins 1997
- For the UK first, Flamingo London 1997 with full number line
- Booker Prize winner
- Roy's debut
- Publisher imprint reads IndiaInk
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Arundhati Roy |
| Publisher | IndiaInk |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first is the IndiaInk edition (New Delhi, 1997), which precedes the UK Flamingo/HarperCollins 1997 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first is the IndiaInk edition (New Delhi, 1997), which precedes the UK Flamingo/HarperCollins 1997. For the UK first, Flamingo London 1997 with full number line. Booker Prize winner; Roy's debut.

## Is this the true first?
The IndiaInk (India) 1997 edition is generally taken as the true first, preceding the Flamingo London 1997 (first UK trade) and Random House New York 1997 (first US). The IndiaInk issue is the scarce true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Flamingo and US editions distinguished by imprint; later printings shown by number line. Book club editions lack the first-state priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The God of Small Things* by Arundhati Roy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-god-of-small-things
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.