# Is "The Pedant in the Kitchen" by Julian Barnes a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Pedant in the Kitchen by Julian Barnes (Atlantic Books, 2003) is identified by: Collection of food essays, illustrated by Joe Berger. UK Atlantic Books hardback (2003) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Collection of food essays, illustrated by Joe Berger
- The true first is the Atlantic Books hardback in cloth/boards with dust jacket, 2003
- Later issued in paperback by Atlantic; the hardback precedes
- Publisher imprint reads Atlantic Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Julian Barnes |
| Publisher | Atlantic Books |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Collection of food essays, illustrated by Joe Berger |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Collection of food essays, illustrated by Joe Berger. The true first is the Atlantic Books hardback in cloth/boards with dust jacket, 2003. Later issued in paperback by Atlantic; the hardback precedes.

## Is this the true first?
UK Atlantic Books hardback (2003) is the true first. Minor title.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition known.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Pedant in the Kitchen* by Julian Barnes a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-pedant-in-the-kitchen
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.