# Is "The Golden Notebook" by Doris Lessing a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing (Michael Joseph, 1962) is identified by: London: Michael Joseph, 1962. The true first is the UK Michael Joseph 1962 edition; the US Simon & Schuster is a later first-thus, distinguished by its stated first printing and dollar-priced flap.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- London: Michael Joseph, 1962
- States 'First published … 1962'; black boards with gilt spine lettering, 568 pages
- First-issue typographic dust jacket with its printed price, with a photograph of Lessing on the rear panel; the jacket is notably thin and fragile
- The UK Michael Joseph precedes the US Simon & Schuster 1962 edition
- Publisher imprint reads Michael Joseph
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Doris Lessing |
| Publisher | Michael Joseph |
| Year | 1962 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | London: Michael Joseph, 1962 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
London: Michael Joseph, 1962. States 'First published … 1962'; black boards with gilt spine lettering, 568 pages. First-issue typographic dust jacket with its printed price, with a photograph of Lessing on the rear panel; the jacket is notably thin and fragile. The UK Michael Joseph precedes the US Simon & Schuster 1962 edition.

## Is this the true first?
The true first is the UK Michael Joseph 1962 edition; the US Simon & Schuster is a later first-thus, distinguished by its stated first printing and dollar-priced flap. Lessing's landmark novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major club edition; watch for later restored/reissued texts and the US printing being described as the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Golden Notebook* by Doris Lessing a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-golden-notebook
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.