# Is "The Grey King" by Susan Cooper a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Grey King by Susan Cooper (Atheneum / Margaret K. McElderry Books, 1975) is identified by: First edition published 1975 by Atheneum (Margaret K. US true first edition (Atheneum, 1975), which appeared at essentially the same time as the UK Chatto & Windus edition; reported US release dates place the Atheneum printing at least as early as the UK one.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition published 1975 by Atheneum (Margaret K. McElderry Books), New York, with illustrations by Michael Heslop; the fourth book in The Dark Is Rising sequence
- The first printing states First Edition on the copyright page
- Cloth binding; first-issue dust jacket carries the original price
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum / Margaret K. McElderry Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Susan Cooper |
| Publisher | Atheneum / Margaret K. McElderry Books |
| Year | 1975 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First edition published 1975 by Atheneum (Margaret K. McElderry Books), New York, with illustrations by Michael Heslop; the fourth book in… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition published 1975 by Atheneum (Margaret K. McElderry Books), New York, with illustrations by Michael Heslop; the fourth book in The Dark Is Rising sequence. The first printing states First Edition on the copyright page. Cloth binding; first-issue dust jacket carries the original price.

## Is this the true first?
US true first edition (Atheneum, 1975), which appeared at essentially the same time as the UK Chatto & Windus edition; reported US release dates place the Atheneum printing at least as early as the UK one. Awarded the Newbery Medal in 1976. Collectors track both the US and UK firsts.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Atheneum reprints drop the stated First Edition; book-club editions typically lack a printed jacket price. The UK Chatto & Windus 1975 edition is the separate true first for that market.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Grey King* by Susan Cooper a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-grey-king-susan-cooper
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.