# Is "The Moon and Sixpence" by W. Somerset Maugham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Moon and Sixpence by W. Somerset Maugham (William Heinemann, 1919) is identified by: True first is the William Heinemann London edition of 1919, in sage/green cloth lettered and decorated in black. UK Heinemann (April 1919) is the true first, preceding the US George H.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the William Heinemann London edition of 1919, in sage/green cloth lettered and decorated in black
- The first issue is identified by the publisher's advertisements bound in at the rear (four pages of ads, including titles by Israel Zangwill); later issues alter or omit these ads
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. Somerset Maugham |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1919 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the William Heinemann London edition of 1919, in sage/green cloth lettered and decorated in black |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first is the William Heinemann London edition of 1919, in sage/green cloth lettered and decorated in black. The first issue is identified by the publisher's advertisements bound in at the rear (four pages of ads, including titles by Israel Zangwill); later issues alter or omit these ads.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann (April 1919) is the true first, preceding the US George H. Doran edition (1919). Identify the first issue by the rear advertisements rather than any single textual misprint.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue. Later impressions are distinguished by changes to the rear advertisement leaves.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Moon and Sixpence* by W. Somerset Maugham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-moon-and-sixpence
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.