# Is "The Interpreters" by Wole Soyinka a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Interpreters by Wole Soyinka (Andre Deutsch, 1965) is identified by: First edition, Andre Deutsch, London, 1965, Soyinka's first novel, roughly 254 pages. Andre Deutsch London 1965 is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Andre Deutsch, London, 1965, Soyinka's first novel, roughly 254 pages
- Bound in orange boards with the spine lettered and ruled in gilt; the dust jacket carries the original the printed price printed price, which should be present
- Publisher imprint reads Andre Deutsch
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Wole Soyinka |
| Publisher | Andre Deutsch |
| Year | 1965 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Andre Deutsch, London, 1965, Soyinka's first novel, roughly 254 pages |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, Andre Deutsch, London, 1965, Soyinka's first novel, roughly 254 pages. Bound in orange boards with the spine lettered and ruled in gilt; the dust jacket carries the original the printed price printed price, which should be present.

## Is this the true first?
Andre Deutsch London 1965 is the true first edition. The African Writers Series paperback (AWS #76, 1970) is a later first-thus paperback.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The AWS paperback (1970) and later printings are reprints. Tells of the reprint: the series number and printed wrappers rather than gilt-lettered orange boards in a priced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Interpreters* by Wole Soyinka a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-interpreters
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.