# Is "The Line of Beauty" by Alan Hollinghurst a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst (Picador, 2004) is identified by: First UK edition, Picador, London, 2004. The UK Picador edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition, Picador, London, 2004. 'First published 2004 by Picador' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1
- Original boards in unclipped dust jacket priced 16.the printed price
- Winner of the 2004 Booker Prize
- Publisher imprint reads Picador
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Alan Hollinghurst |
| Publisher | Picador |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition, Picador, London, 2004. 'First published 2004 by Picador' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First UK edition, Picador, London, 2004. 'First published 2004 by Picador' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1. Original boards in unclipped dust jacket priced 16.the printed price. Winner of the 2004 Booker Prize.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Picador edition is the true first. The US edition (Bloomsbury USA) followed in 2004.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The US edition is distinguished by imprint and US pricing. The UK first impression is identified by the number line descending to 1. No prominent book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Line of Beauty* by Alan Hollinghurst a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-line-of-beauty
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.