# Is "The Passion" by Jeanette Winterson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Passion by Jeanette Winterson (Bloomsbury, 1987) is identified by: First UK hardcover, Bloomsbury, London, 1987, stating 'First published in Great Britain 1987' on the copyright page (ISBN 0747500347). The UK Bloomsbury 1987 hardcover is the true first; the US Atlantic Monthly Press edition followed in 1988, so the UK precedes.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK hardcover, Bloomsbury, London, 1987, stating 'First published in Great Britain 1987' on the copyright page (ISBN 0747500347)
- Issued with a coloured ribbon marker; the priced dust jacket should be present and unclipped
- Winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize
- Publisher imprint reads Bloomsbury
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jeanette Winterson |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK hardcover, Bloomsbury, London, 1987, stating 'First published in Great Britain 1987' on the copyright page (ISBN 0747500347) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First UK hardcover, Bloomsbury, London, 1987, stating 'First published in Great Britain 1987' on the copyright page (ISBN 0747500347). Issued with a coloured ribbon marker; the priced dust jacket should be present and unclipped. Winner of the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Bloomsbury 1987 hardcover is the true first; the US Atlantic Monthly Press edition followed in 1988, so the UK precedes.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition. Do not confuse the 1991 Bloomsbury Classics reissue (black cloth, gilt spine titles) with the 1987 first hardcover.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Passion* by Jeanette Winterson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-passion
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.