# Is "The Tale of the Unknown Island" by José Saramago a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Tale of the Unknown Island by José Saramago (Harvill, 1999) is identified by: UK Harvill 1999 first edition, illustrated by Peter Sís and translated by Margaret Jull Costa. First English translation of O Conto da Ilha Desconhecida (1997).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- UK Harvill 1999 first edition, illustrated by Peter Sís and translated by Margaret Jull Costa
- US Harcourt also issued its first American edition in 1999, likewise illustrated by Peter Sís
- Publisher imprint reads Harvill
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | José Saramago |
| Publisher | Harvill |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | UK Harvill 1999 first edition, illustrated by Peter Sís and translated by Margaret Jull… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
UK Harvill 1999 first edition, illustrated by Peter Sís and translated by Margaret Jull Costa. US Harcourt also issued its first American edition in 1999, likewise illustrated by Peter Sís.

## Is this the true first?
First English translation of O Conto da Ilha Desconhecida (1997). Both UK Harvill and US Harcourt editions are dated 1999.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition recorded.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Tale of the Unknown Island* by José Saramago a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-tale-of-the-unknown-island
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.