# Is "The Town and the City" by John Kerouac (Jack Kerouac) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Town and the City by John Kerouac (Jack Kerouac) (Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1950) is identified by: First edition published as by 'John Kerouac' (his given first name). Harcourt, Brace US (1950) is the true first — Kerouac's debut, issued under the name 'John Kerouac.' Eyre & Spottiswoode issued the UK edition (1951).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition published as by 'John Kerouac' (his given first name)
- Cloth in dust jacket; first printing identified by the copyright page lacking later-printing statements, with the first-issue price on the jacket flap
- This is Kerouac's first published book
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Kerouac (Jack Kerouac) |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace and Company |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Poetry |
| Key point | First edition published as by 'John Kerouac' (his given first name) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition published as by 'John Kerouac' (his given first name). Cloth in dust jacket; first printing identified by the copyright page lacking later-printing statements, with the first-issue price on the jacket flap. This is Kerouac's first published book.

## Is this the true first?
Harcourt, Brace US (1950) is the true first — Kerouac's debut, issued under the name 'John Kerouac.' Eyre & Spottiswoode issued the UK edition (1951). Scarce, especially in jacket and signed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Not a book club. The signature point is the 'John Kerouac' byline and Harcourt Brace 1950 imprint; verify a first-printing copyright page and price-present jacket. Beware later printings.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Town and the City* by John Kerouac (Jack Kerouac) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-town-and-the-city
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.