# Is "The Personal Heresy: A Controversy (with E.M.W. Tillyard)" by C.S. Lewis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Personal Heresy: A Controversy (with E.M.W. Tillyard) by C.S. Lewis (Oxford University Press, 1939) is identified by: First edition published by Oxford University Press, London, 27 April 1939; the debate in essays between Lewis and E.M.W. UK Oxford true first; there was no earlier or simultaneous US edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition published by Oxford University Press, London, 27 April 1939; the debate in essays between Lewis and E.M.W. Tillyard
- Original cloth with gilt spine lettering, 150 pages; title page dated 1939 and verso carries no reprint or later-impression statement
- Publisher imprint reads Oxford University Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | C.S. Lewis |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Year | 1939 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition published by Oxford University Press, London, 27 April 1939; the debate in essays between Lewis and E.M.W. Tillyard |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition published by Oxford University Press, London, 27 April 1939; the debate in essays between Lewis and E.M.W. Tillyard. Original cloth with gilt spine lettering, 150 pages; title page dated 1939 and verso carries no reprint or later-impression statement.

## Is this the true first?
UK Oxford true first; there was no earlier or simultaneous US edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later reprints (Oxford 1965 and a 2008 Concordia reissue) are clearly identified as such on their title or copyright pages.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Personal Heresy: A Controversy (with E.M.W. Tillyard)* by C.S. Lewis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-personal-heresy-a-controversy-with-emw-tillyard
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.