# Is "The Great Fire" by Shirley Hazzard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003) is identified by: First printing states 'First edition, 2003' with the FSG number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2'. The US FSG hardcover (2003) is the accepted true first; it won the 2003 National Book Award for Fiction and the 2004 NBCC Award.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states 'First edition, 2003' with the FSG number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2'
- The earliest jacket state lacks the Today Show Book Club emblem and the later award/blurb additions, and retains the printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Shirley Hazzard |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing states 'First edition, 2003' with the FSG number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing states 'First edition, 2003' with the FSG number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2'. The earliest jacket state lacks the Today Show Book Club emblem and the later award/blurb additions, and retains the printed price.

## Is this the true first?
The US FSG hardcover (2003) is the accepted true first; it won the 2003 National Book Award for Fiction and the 2004 NBCC Award. UK (Virago) and Australian editions follow.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are typically smaller, may be blind-stamped, and carry an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Great Fire* by Shirley Hazzard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-great-fire
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.