# Is "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (Viking Press, 1959) is identified by: 'Published in 1959 by The Viking Press' on the copyright page with no later printing stated; [vii], 246 pages. US Viking 1959 is the true first, and it precedes the first British edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 'Published in 1959 by The Viking Press' on the copyright page with no later printing stated; [vii], 246 pages
- Binding is publisher's cloth in yellow and turquoise (boards turquoise, shelf-backed in yellow) stamped in black, with a black top-stain and cream endpapers
- The wraparound pictorial dust jacket is by Paul Bacon, showing Hill House at a distance and lettered in blue, yellow, and white; the first-issue jacket carries the price present on the flap
- First state is told by the Viking 1959 imprint, the absence of any additional-printing line, and the unclipped Paul Bacon jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Viking Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Shirley Jackson |
| Publisher | Viking Press |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'Published in 1959 by The Viking Press' on the copyright page with no later printing stated; [vii], 246 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
'Published in 1959 by The Viking Press' on the copyright page with no later printing stated; [vii], 246 pages. Binding is publisher's cloth in yellow and turquoise (boards turquoise, shelf-backed in yellow) stamped in black, with a black top-stain and cream endpapers. The wraparound pictorial dust jacket is by Paul Bacon, showing Hill House at a distance and lettered in blue, yellow, and white; the first-issue jacket carries the price present on the flap. First state is told by the Viking 1959 imprint, the absence of any additional-printing line, and the unclipped Paul Bacon jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Viking 1959 is the true first, and it precedes the first British edition. The UK first is Michael Joseph (London, 1960). First state is confirmed by the Viking 1959 imprint with no additional-printing line, the yellow-and-turquoise cloth with black top-stain, and the unclipped Paul Bacon jacket.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions have the rear-board blind-stamp, no price on the jacket, and cheaper boards; later trade printings note additional impressions on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Haunting of Hill House* by Shirley Jackson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-haunting-of-hill-house
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.