# Is "The Thief of Always" by Clive Barker a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Thief of Always by Clive Barker (HarperCollins, 1992) is identified by: Published in both London and New York in 1992; an illustrated fable written and illustrated by Barker. UK and US HarperCollins editions both appeared in 1992; precedence is not firmly established, and the official Barker bibliography lists the UK edition first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Published in both London and New York in 1992; an illustrated fable written and illustrated by Barker
- The US first printing has a full number line including 1; the UK first edition carries the sterling price at the lower corner of the back jacket flap
- Publisher imprint reads HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Clive Barker |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Published in both London and New York in 1992; an illustrated fable written and illustrated by Barker |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Published in both London and New York in 1992; an illustrated fable written and illustrated by Barker. The US first printing has a full number line including 1; the UK first edition carries the sterling price at the lower corner of the back jacket flap.

## Is this the true first?
UK and US HarperCollins editions both appeared in 1992; precedence is not firmly established, and the official Barker bibliography lists the UK edition first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club copies lack the jacket price and the full number line and are typically smaller than the trade edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Thief of Always* by Clive Barker a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-thief-of-always
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.