The points of issue
First English edition is the UK Harvill Press hardcover, 1993, in dust jacket (ISBN 0-00-271357-8 / 9780002713573), translated by Giovanni Pontiero. The US Harcourt Brace edition followed in 1994. Collectors seeking the first edition in English should take the 1993 Harvill, not the 1994 Harcourt.
Is this the true first?
True first of the work is the Portuguese 'O Evangelho segundo Jesus Cristo' (Editorial Caminho, Lisbon, 1991). The first edition in English is the UK Harvill (1993), which precedes the US Harcourt Brace (1994); both use the Pontiero translation.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 1994 US Harcourt Brace edition and the later Harvest in Translation paperbacks are not the 1993 UK first English.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Gospel According to Jesus Christ a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First English edition is the UK Harvill Press hardcover, 1993, in dust jacket (ISBN 0-00-271357-8 / 9780002713573), translated by Giovanni Pontiero. The US Harcourt Brace edition followed in 1994. Collectors seeking the first edition in English should take the 1993 Harvill, not the 1994 Harcourt.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. True first of the work is the Portuguese 'O Evangelho segundo Jesus Cristo' (Editorial Caminho, Lisbon, 1991). The first edition in English is the UK Harvill (1993), which precedes the US Harcourt Brace (1994); both use the Pontiero translation.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The 1994 US Harcourt Brace edition and the later Harvest in Translation paperbacks are not the 1993 UK first English.
I have a first edition of The Gospel According to Jesus Christ — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.