# Is "The Testament of Mary" by Colm Tóibín a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Testament of Mary by Colm Tóibín (Viking, 2012) is identified by: First UK edition, Viking (Penguin), 2012. The UK Viking hardcover (2012) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First UK edition, Viking (Penguin), 2012
- Slim hardcover, roughly 104 pages, in original boards with dust jacket; 'First published 2012' on the verso with a number line to 1
- Shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Colm Tóibín |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 2012 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First UK edition, Viking (Penguin), 2012 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First UK edition, Viking (Penguin), 2012. Slim hardcover, roughly 104 pages, in original boards with dust jacket; 'First published 2012' on the verso with a number line to 1. Shortlisted for the 2013 Man Booker Prize.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Viking hardcover (2012) is the true first. The US Scribner hardcover followed (13 November 2012), as did a Canadian McClelland & Stewart edition (2012). Being a slim novel, jacketed firsts are comparatively scarce.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US Scribner and Canadian McClelland & Stewart editions are distinguished by imprint and date; the UK first is told by the 'First published 2012' statement and number line to 1. No book-club edition noted.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Testament of Mary* by Colm Tóibín a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-testament-of-mary
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.