# Is "The River Between" by James Ngugi (Ngugi wa Thiong'o) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The River Between by James Ngugi (Ngugi wa Thiong'o) (Heinemann, 1965) is identified by: First edition 1965, bylined James Ngugi (the pre-renaming author-name point). Heinemann London 1965 is the true first edition, bylined James Ngugi.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition 1965, bylined James Ngugi (the pre-renaming author-name point)
- Heinemann African Writers Series number 17; issued in series wrappers and also a cloth issue
- Although published after Weep Not, Child, it was written earlier
- Publisher imprint reads Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Ngugi (Ngugi wa Thiong'o) |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
| Year | 1965 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition 1965, bylined James Ngugi (the pre-renaming author-name point) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition 1965, bylined James Ngugi (the pre-renaming author-name point). Heinemann African Writers Series number 17; issued in series wrappers and also a cloth issue. Although published after Weep Not, Child, it was written earlier.

## Is this the true first?
Heinemann London 1965 is the true first edition, bylined James Ngugi. Copies bylined Ngugi wa Thiong'o are later printings or editions.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings carry the Ngugi wa Thiong'o byline, a reprint tell. The African Writers Series number is a series marker rather than a printing point.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The River Between* by James Ngugi (Ngugi wa Thiong'o) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-river-between
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.