# Is "The Painted Veil" by W. Somerset Maugham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham (George H. Doran, 1925) is identified by: True first is the New York George H. US Doran (20 March 1925) precedes the UK Heinemann edition (23 April 1925).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the New York George H. Doran edition, issued 20 March 1925
- The first issue carries the imaginary colony name 'Tching-Yen' (e.g. on page 16); a later issue substitutes 'Hong-Kong' and adds a publisher's device and a small letter on the copyright page
- The name change stems from libel threats over the original Hong Kong setting
- Publisher imprint reads George H. Doran
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | W. Somerset Maugham |
| Publisher | George H. Doran |
| Year | 1925 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is the New York George H. Doran edition, issued 20 March 1925 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
True first is the New York George H. Doran edition, issued 20 March 1925. The first issue carries the imaginary colony name 'Tching-Yen' (e.g. on page 16); a later issue substitutes 'Hong-Kong' and adds a publisher's device and a small letter on the copyright page. The name change stems from libel threats over the original Hong Kong setting.

## Is this the true first?
US Doran (20 March 1925) precedes the UK Heinemann edition (23 April 1925). The libel-driven place-name was most disruptive to the English edition, which required cancels and a reissue; for the American first, the 'Tching-Yen' reading marks the earlier issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later issues read 'Hong-Kong' in place of 'Tching-Yen' and add a copyright-page device and letter.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Painted Veil* by W. Somerset Maugham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-painted-veil
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.