# Is "The Satanic Verses" by Salman Rushdie a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (Viking, 1988) is identified by: Viking (London), 1988, published 26 September 1988; ISBN 0-670-82537-9, octavo, 546 pages. Viking London 1988 is the true first; the Viking New York edition (1989) is the first US, so the UK precedes the US.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Viking (London), 1988, published 26 September 1988
- ISBN 0-670-82537-9, octavo, 546 pages
- First printing copyright page states 'First published 1988' with a full number line running to 1
- Publisher's blue cloth boards, gilt lettering to the spine; dust jacket priced with the printed UK price present at the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Salman Rushdie |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Viking (London), 1988, published 26 September 1988 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Viking (London), 1988, published 26 September 1988; ISBN 0-670-82537-9, octavo, 546 pages. First printing copyright page states 'First published 1988' with a full number line running to 1. Publisher's blue cloth boards, gilt lettering to the spine; dust jacket priced with the printed UK price present at the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
Viking London 1988 is the true first; the Viking New York edition (1989) is the first US, so the UK precedes the US. First-issue copies are the earliest Viking London impression identified by the intact number line to 1.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions are shown by a number line no longer reaching 1 (later-printing Viking London copies are common). The US edition is dated 1989 with the New York imprint. Signed copies are scarce owing to the security situation surrounding the author after publication.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Satanic Verses* by Salman Rushdie a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-satanic-verses
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.