The points of issue
First edition story collection, 2009, issued by Fourth Estate in the UK and Alfred A. Knopf in the US, both dated to the same release in late May 2009. Boards with dust jacket. The UK Fourth Estate carries no later-printing statement on the true first; the US Knopf carries a number line ending in 1 on its first printing.
Is this the true first?
Sources indicate the UK Fourth Estate and US Knopf editions were published simultaneously in 2009 (a shared late-May release date), so neither can be reliably asserted as preceding the other. Treat both as the 2009 first edition and identify by imprint; do not claim clear UK priority.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Anchor and later trade paperbacks are reprints. The Nigerian Kachifo/Farafina issue is a separate territorial edition, not the overall first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Thing Around Your Neck a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First edition story collection, 2009, issued by Fourth Estate in the UK and Alfred A. Knopf in the US, both dated to the same release in late May 2009. Boards with dust jacket. The UK Fourth Estate carries no later-printing statement on the true first; the US Knopf carries a number line ending in 1 on its first printing.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. Sources indicate the UK Fourth Estate and US Knopf editions were published simultaneously in 2009 (a shared late-May release date), so neither can be reliably asserted as preceding the other. Treat both as the 2009 first edition and identify by imprint; do not claim clear UK priority.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Anchor and later trade paperbacks are reprints. The Nigerian Kachifo/Farafina issue is a separate territorial edition, not the overall first.
I have a first edition of The Thing Around Your Neck — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.