# Is "The Pillowman" by Martin McDonagh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Pillowman by Martin McDonagh (Faber & Faber, 2003) is identified by: Faber & Faber, London, 2003, playscript in wrappers (ISBN 0-571-22032-3), stating 'First published in 2003 by Faber and Faber.' Issued around the Cottesloe / National Theatre premiere, November 2003. The UK Faber 2003 edition is the true first; the US (Faber/TCG and Dramatists Play Service) editions are later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Faber & Faber, London, 2003, playscript in wrappers (ISBN 0-571-22032-3), stating 'First published in 2003 by Faber and Faber.' Issued around the Cottesloe / National Theatre premiere, November 2003
- Note the publisher shift from Methuen to Faber for this title
- Publisher imprint reads Faber & Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Martin McDonagh |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Faber & Faber, London, 2003, playscript in wrappers (ISBN 0-571-22032-3), stating 'First published in 2003 by Faber and Faber.' Issued… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Faber & Faber, London, 2003, playscript in wrappers (ISBN 0-571-22032-3), stating 'First published in 2003 by Faber and Faber.' Issued around the Cottesloe / National Theatre premiere, November 2003. Note the publisher shift from Methuen to Faber for this title.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Faber 2003 edition is the true first; the US (Faber/TCG and Dramatists Play Service) editions are later.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Faber printings and US editions are not the first. No book-club issue is recorded.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Pillowman* by Martin McDonagh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-pillowman
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.