# Is "The Honorary Consul" by Graham Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Honorary Consul by Graham Greene (The Bodley Head, 1973) is identified by: First printing, The Bodley Head, London, 1973; the copyright page states 'First published 1973'. The Bodley Head London edition is the true first; a Simon & Schuster (US) edition followed in 1973.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing, The Bodley Head, London, 1973; the copyright page states 'First published 1973'
- Bound in full green cloth with gilt spine lettering and a violet (purple) topstain
- 335 pages
- The dust jacket was designed by Michael Harvey, using a plain dark-green ground with the author's name and title lettered on both front and back panels; the jacket should retain its original printed price (present on an unclipped copy)
- The novel is set in a provincial town in northern Argentina
- Publisher imprint reads The Bodley Head
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Greene |
| Publisher | The Bodley Head |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing, The Bodley Head, London, 1973; the copyright page states 'First published 1973' |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing, The Bodley Head, London, 1973; the copyright page states 'First published 1973'. Bound in full green cloth with gilt spine lettering and a violet (purple) topstain; 335 pages. The dust jacket was designed by Michael Harvey, using a plain dark-green ground with the author's name and title lettered on both front and back panels; the jacket should retain its original printed price (present on an unclipped copy). The novel is set in a provincial town in northern Argentina.

## Is this the true first?
The Bodley Head London edition is the true first; a Simon & Schuster (US) edition followed in 1973.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book Club Associates (BCA) printings appeared later and are not the first edition; they lack the Bodley Head imprint and 'First published 1973' statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Honorary Consul* by Graham Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-honorary-consul
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.