# Is "The Potting Shed" by Graham Greene a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Potting Shed by Graham Greene (Viking, 1957) is identified by: US Viking edition (1957) precedes the UK Heinemann edition (1958). Viking New York 1957 is the true first edition; the UK Heinemann edition followed in 1958.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Viking edition
- precedes the UK Heinemann edition
- A play in three acts
- Note: the third act differs between the two editions; the American first prints the version produced in New York in 1957, and the British edition carries Greene's later, revised third act
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Greene |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Viking edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
US Viking edition (1957) precedes the UK Heinemann edition (1958). A play in three acts. Note: the third act differs between the two editions; the American first prints the version produced in New York in 1957, and the British edition carries Greene's later, revised third act.

## Is this the true first?
Viking New York 1957 is the true first edition; the UK Heinemann edition followed in 1958. Confirmed as a US-precedence title.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue noted for the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Potting Shed* by Graham Greene a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-potting-shed
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.