# Is "The Siege of Krishnapur" by J. G. Farrell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Siege of Krishnapur by J. G. Farrell (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1973) is identified by: First UK edition, Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1973. UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition is the true first; the US edition (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) followed in 1974.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition, Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1973. 'First published in Great Britain in 1973' on the verso, no later impression statement
- Original cloth, dust jacket with price
- Won the 1973 Booker Prize; the central volume of the Empire Trilogy and the most collected
- Publisher imprint reads Weidenfeld & Nicolson
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J. G. Farrell |
| Publisher | Weidenfeld & Nicolson |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition, Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1973. 'First published in Great Britain in 1973' on the verso, no later impression statement |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First UK edition, Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1973. 'First published in Great Britain in 1973' on the verso, no later impression statement. Original cloth, dust jacket with price. Won the 1973 Booker Prize; the central volume of the Empire Trilogy and the most collected.

## Is this the true first?
UK Weidenfeld & Nicolson edition is the true first; the US edition (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich) followed in 1974.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The US Harcourt Brace Jovanovich edition is later and US-priced. No major book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Siege of Krishnapur* by J. G. Farrell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-siege-of-krishnapur
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.