# Is "The Sea" by John Banville a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sea by John Banville (Picador, 2005) is identified by: First UK edition, Picador (London) 2005. UK Picador 2005 is the true first; the US edition (Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition, Picador (London) 2005
- Copyright page reads 'First published 2005 by Picador' with the full staggered number line 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 (the presence of the 1 marks the first printing)
- Original boards in dust jacket priced 16.the printed price (ISBN 0330483285 / 9780330483285)
- 2005 Booker Prize winner
- Publisher imprint reads Picador
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Banville |
| Publisher | Picador |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition, Picador (London) 2005 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First UK edition, Picador (London) 2005. Copyright page reads 'First published 2005 by Picador' with the full staggered number line 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 (the presence of the 1 marks the first printing). Original boards in dust jacket priced 16.the printed price (ISBN 0330483285 / 9780330483285). 2005 Booker Prize winner.

## Is this the true first?
UK Picador 2005 is the true first; the US edition (Alfred A. Knopf, New York) 2005 followed and is a first-thus.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book-club edition. The US Knopf printing is later and US-priced.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Sea* by John Banville a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-sea
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.