# Is "The Invention of Love" by Tom Stoppard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Invention of Love by Tom Stoppard (Faber and Faber, 1997) is identified by: Faber and Faber, London, 1997. UK Faber first, preceding the US Grove Press edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Faber and Faber, London, 1997
- Original illustrated wrappers (octavo playscript)
- Confirm the Faber imprint and 1997 date and that no later impression is indicated
- Publisher imprint reads Faber and Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tom Stoppard |
| Publisher | Faber and Faber |
| Year | 1997 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Faber and Faber, London, 1997 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Faber and Faber, London, 1997. Original illustrated wrappers (octavo playscript). Confirm the Faber imprint and 1997 date and that no later impression is indicated.

## Is this the true first?
UK Faber first, preceding the US Grove Press edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition traced for this title.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Invention of Love* by Tom Stoppard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-invention-of-love
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.