# Is "The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde" by Peter Ackroyd a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde by Peter Ackroyd (Hamish Hamilton, 1983) is identified by: Hardcover in boards with gilt-lettered spine, octavo, 185 pages; copyright page reads 'First published 1983' (ISBN 0241109647). The UK Hamish Hamilton 1983 hardcover is the true first, preceding the US Harper & Row 1983 edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Hardcover in boards with gilt-lettered spine, octavo, 185 pages; copyright page reads 'First published 1983' (ISBN 0241109647)
- Issued in the original priced dust jacket, the presence of which (unclipped, bearing the printed price) is a key identification point
- Won the 1984 Somerset Maugham Award
- Publisher imprint reads Hamish Hamilton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Peter Ackroyd |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Hardcover in boards with gilt-lettered spine, octavo, 185 pages; copyright page reads 'First published 1983' (ISBN 0241109647) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Hardcover in boards with gilt-lettered spine, octavo, 185 pages; copyright page reads 'First published 1983' (ISBN 0241109647). Issued in the original priced dust jacket, the presence of which (unclipped, bearing the printed price) is a key identification point. Won the 1984 Somerset Maugham Award.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Hamish Hamilton 1983 hardcover is the true first, preceding the US Harper & Row 1983 edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions state the impression on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde* by Peter Ackroyd a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-last-testament-of-oscar-wilde
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.