The points of issue
First English edition appeared in 1953, translated by J. M. Cohen (with Arturo Barea) and carrying Arturo Barea's introduction, published in London by Victor Gollancz and in New York by Farrar, Straus & Young. Both are 1953; the precise priority between the UK and US issues is not firmly established, so neither should be asserted as the sole first English without copy-specific evidence.
Is this the true first?
True first of the work is the Spanish 'La colmena' (Emecé, Buenos Aires, 1951 — first published in Argentina owing to Spanish censorship). The first English edition is from 1953, issued by Gollancz (UK) and Farrar, Straus & Young (US); priority between the two same-year issues is unsettled.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Farrar, Straus paperbacks and other reprints are not the 1953 first English.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Hive a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First English edition appeared in 1953, translated by J. M. Cohen (with Arturo Barea) and carrying Arturo Barea's introduction, published in London by Victor Gollancz and in New York by Farrar, Straus & Young. Both are 1953; the precise priority between the UK and US issues is not firmly established, so neither should be asserted as the sole first English without copy-specific evidence.
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 Spanish 'La colmena' (Emecé, Buenos Aires, 1951 — first published in Argentina owing to Spanish censorship). The first English edition is from 1953, issued by Gollancz (UK) and Farrar, Straus & Young (US); priority between the two same-year issues is unsettled.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Farrar, Straus paperbacks and other reprints are not the 1953 first English.
I have a first edition of The Hive — 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.