# Is "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" by Tennessee Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone by Tennessee Williams (New Directions, 1950) is identified by: Williams's only novel (a novella). New Directions issued the US edition in 1950; John Lehmann published the UK edition (with a Cecil Beaton dust-jacket illustration) the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New Directions, 1950
- Williams's only novel (a novella)
- A signed limited edition of 500 copies (half vellum and patterned boards, in acetate and slipcase with paper label) was issued alongside the trade edition; the trade first is cloth in a dust jacket designed by Alvin Lustig
- Later printings are stated on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tennessee Williams |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New Directions, 1950 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
New Directions, 1950. Williams's only novel (a novella). A signed limited edition of 500 copies (half vellum and patterned boards, in acetate and slipcase with paper label) was issued alongside the trade edition; the trade first is cloth in a dust jacket designed by Alvin Lustig. Later printings are stated on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
New Directions issued the US edition in 1950; John Lehmann published the UK edition (with a Cecil Beaton dust-jacket illustration) the same year. Sources do not establish clear precedence between the two 1950 editions, so treat the New Directions edition as the American first rather than asserting it precedes the London printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No early book-club edition. Distinguish the first from later New Directions printings, which are stated on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone* by Tennessee Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-roman-spring-of-mrs-stone
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.