# Is "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Doubleday, 2011) is identified by: US Doubleday first printing: copyright page states First Edition and carries a number line that includes the 1. US Doubleday and UK Harvill Secker both appeared in 2011; the US Doubleday is conventionally treated as the lead first in the trade.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Doubleday first printing: copyright page states First Edition and carries a number line that includes the 1
- Distinctive black, white and red design; debut novel; first-issue jacket carries the printed price and lacks bestseller bands
- Published September 2011
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erin Morgenstern |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 2011 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Doubleday first printing: copyright page states First Edition and carries a number line that includes the 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
US Doubleday first printing: copyright page states First Edition and carries a number line that includes the 1. Distinctive black, white and red design; debut novel; first-issue jacket carries the printed price and lacks bestseller bands. Published September 2011.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday and UK Harvill Secker both appeared in 2011; the US Doubleday is conventionally treated as the lead first in the trade. Confirm via the stated First Edition plus a number line retaining the 1.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No separate book-club edition is documented for the first issue. Later printings drop the 1 and add bestseller bands to the jacket. Signed and special/limited issues exist, so verify the edition statement and number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Night Circus* by Erin Morgenstern a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-night-circus
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.