# Is "The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet" by David Mitchell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell (Sceptre, 2010) is identified by: Sceptre (Hodder & Stoughton), London, 2010, ISBN 9780340921586. UK Sceptre (2010) precedes the US Random House edition (2010).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Sceptre (Hodder & Stoughton), London, 2010, ISBN 9780340921586
- Hardback in boards with gilt-titled spine, in a dust jacket carrying its printed price; the first printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Booker-longlisted
- Confirm the number line ends in 1 and the priced (unclipped) jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Sceptre
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | David Mitchell |
| Publisher | Sceptre |
| Year | 2010 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Sceptre (Hodder & Stoughton), London, 2010, ISBN 9780340921586 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Sceptre (Hodder & Stoughton), London, 2010, ISBN 9780340921586. Hardback in boards with gilt-titled spine, in a dust jacket carrying its printed price; the first printing is identified by a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Booker-longlisted. Confirm the number line ends in 1 and the priced (unclipped) jacket.

## Is this the true first?
UK Sceptre (2010) precedes the US Random House edition (2010). A signed, numbered limited edition of 500 copies was issued simultaneously with the UK trade first, housed in a publisher's slipcase and signed by the author; collectors distinguish this slipcased signed limited from the ordinary trade first printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings add an impression statement and the number line no longer ends in 1. The signed limited (of 500, slipcased) is a separate issue from the trade first, not a later printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet* by David Mitchell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-thousand-autumns-of-jacob-de-zoet
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.