# Is "The Promise" by Damon Galgut a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Promise by Damon Galgut (Umuzi, 2021) is identified by: Published 2021 in three territories. The Umuzi South African edition (13 May 2021) precedes the Chatto & Windus UK hardcover (17 June 2021) and is the earliest printed first; the US Europa Editions is later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Published 2021 in three territories
- The South African Umuzi edition (an imprint of Penguin Random House SA) appeared 13 May 2021 as a paperback original with integral french-flap wrappers, no separate hardcover; the UK Chatto & Windus hardcover followed 17 June 2021 with 'First published by Chatto & Windus 2021' on the verso and a full number line ending in 1
- The US Europa Editions appeared 2021
- 2021 Booker winner
- Publisher imprint reads Umuzi
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Damon Galgut |
| Publisher | Umuzi |
| Year | 2021 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Published 2021 in three territories |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Published 2021 in three territories. The South African Umuzi edition (an imprint of Penguin Random House SA) appeared 13 May 2021 as a paperback original with integral french-flap wrappers, no separate hardcover; the UK Chatto & Windus hardcover followed 17 June 2021 with 'First published by Chatto & Windus 2021' on the verso and a full number line ending in 1. The US Europa Editions appeared 2021. 2021 Booker winner.

## Is this the true first?
The Umuzi South African edition (13 May 2021) precedes the Chatto & Windus UK hardcover (17 June 2021) and is the earliest printed first; the US Europa Editions is later. A widely cited early-April US Kindle date appears to be unreliable e-book metadata, not a printed precedence. Collectors should distinguish the SA paperback-original first from the UK hardcover first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Umuzi SA, Chatto UK and Europa US are distinguished by imprint and format. The UK first is told by 'First published by Chatto & Windus 2021' with a number line ending in 1. No prominent book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Promise* by Damon Galgut a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-promise
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.