# Is "The Thief and the Dogs (al-Liss wa al-Kilab)" by Naguib Mahfouz a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Thief and the Dogs (al-Liss wa al-Kilab) by Naguib Mahfouz (American University in Cairo Press, 1984) is identified by: First English edition, translated by Trevor Le Gassick and M. AUC Press, Cairo, 1984 is the first English edition; Doubleday/Anchor US 1989, after the Nobel, is a later first-thus.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First English edition, translated by Trevor Le Gassick and M. M. Badawi, revised by John Rodenbeck, American University in Cairo Press, Cairo, 1984
- AUC imprint
- Preceded the Anchor/Doubleday US trade edition of 1989
- Publisher imprint reads American University in Cairo Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Naguib Mahfouz |
| Publisher | American University in Cairo Press |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First English edition, translated by Trevor Le Gassick and M. M. Badawi, revised by John Rodenbeck, American University in Cairo Press… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First English edition, translated by Trevor Le Gassick and M. M. Badawi, revised by John Rodenbeck, American University in Cairo Press, Cairo, 1984. AUC imprint. Preceded the Anchor/Doubleday US trade edition of 1989.

## Is this the true first?
AUC Press, Cairo, 1984 is the first English edition; Doubleday/Anchor US 1989, after the Nobel, is a later first-thus. The Arabic original was published in 1961.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Anchor/Doubleday US 1989 and later paperbacks are reprints. Many Mahfouz firsts in English originate from AUC Press rather than US or UK trade houses.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Thief and the Dogs (al-Liss wa al-Kilab)* by Naguib Mahfouz a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-thief-and-the-dogs-al-liss-wa-al-kilab
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.