# Is "The Witches" by Roald Dahl (illus. Quentin Blake) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Witches by Roald Dahl (illus. Quentin Blake) (Jonathan Cape, 1983) is identified by: True first states 'First published 1983' only, with no reprint line; publisher's aquamarine boards with gilt spine lettering, in the first-issue Quentin Blake pictorial jacket with the original printed UK price (the printed price) to the front flap. UK Jonathan Cape 1983 is the true first; the US Farrar, Straus & Giroux edition is later.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first states 'First published 1983' only, with no reprint line; publisher's aquamarine boards with gilt spine lettering, in the first-issue Quentin Blake pictorial jacket with the original printed UK price (the printed price) to the front flap
- Winner of the 1983 Whitbread Award for Children's Books
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roald Dahl (illus. Quentin Blake) |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | True first states 'First published 1983' only, with no reprint line; publisher's aquamarine boards with gilt spine lettering, in the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first states 'First published 1983' only, with no reprint line; publisher's aquamarine boards with gilt spine lettering, in the first-issue Quentin Blake pictorial jacket with the original printed UK price (the printed price) to the front flap. Winner of the 1983 Whitbread Award for Children's Books.

## Is this the true first?
UK Jonathan Cape 1983 is the true first; the US Farrar, Straus & Giroux edition is later.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies typically carry a blind-stamp and lack the printed jacket price; later printings add a 'Reprinted 1983' or later printing statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Witches* by Roald Dahl (illus. Quentin Blake) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-witches
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.