# Is "The Return" by Roberto Bolaño a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Return by Roberto Bolaño (New Directions, 2010) is identified by: New Directions 2010, first English-language edition of this story collection; translated by Chris Andrews. First English-language edition; the thirteen stories are drawn from Bolaño's Spanish collections Llamadas telefónicas (1997) and Putas asesinas (2001) — specifically those not previously gathered in Last Evenings on Earth.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New Directions 2010, first English-language edition of this story collection; translated by Chris Andrews
- First printing bears the New Directions imprint
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roberto Bolaño |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New Directions 2010, first English-language edition of this story collection; translated… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New Directions 2010, first English-language edition of this story collection; translated by Chris Andrews. First printing bears the New Directions imprint.

## Is this the true first?
First English-language edition; the thirteen stories are drawn from Bolaño's Spanish collections Llamadas telefónicas (1997) and Putas asesinas (2001) — specifically those not previously gathered in Last Evenings on Earth. The original note citing only Putas asesinas is imprecise.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Return* by Roberto Bolaño a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-return-roberto-bola-o
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.