# Is "The Poorhouse Fair" by John Updike a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Poorhouse Fair by John Updike (Alfred A. Knopf, 1959) is identified by: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page. US Knopf is the true first edition and precedes the UK Victor Gollancz edition of 1959.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Updike's first novel. 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page
- Quarter orange cloth over blue paper-covered boards, spine lettered in silver and gilt, top edge orange, 185 pages
- First-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap with a single paragraph of text on the rear flap; jacket design by Harry Ford
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Updike |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Updike's first novel. 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Updike's first novel. 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page. Quarter orange cloth over blue paper-covered boards, spine lettered in silver and gilt, top edge orange, 185 pages. First-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap with a single paragraph of text on the rear flap; jacket design by Harry Ford.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf is the true first edition and precedes the UK Victor Gollancz edition of 1959.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club copies lack the 'FIRST EDITION' statement and the printed jacket price and typically carry a blind-stamped dot or square on the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Poorhouse Fair* by John Updike a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-poorhouse-fair
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.