# Is "The Worm and the Ring" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Worm and the Ring by Anthony Burgess (William Heinemann, 1961) is identified by: Withdrawn after a libel action by Gwendoline Bustin (secretary of Banbury Grammar School); Heinemann recalled and pulped the remaining stock, making the original first issue scarce. UK Heinemann is the true first (1961).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing, 1961
- Withdrawn after a libel action by Gwendoline Bustin (secretary of Banbury Grammar School)
- Heinemann recalled and pulped the remaining stock, making the original first issue scarce
- A bowdlerised/revised text appeared in 1970
- No US edition
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1961 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing, 1961 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing, 1961. Withdrawn after a libel action by Gwendoline Bustin (secretary of Banbury Grammar School); Heinemann recalled and pulped the remaining stock, making the original first issue scarce. A bowdlerised/revised text appeared in 1970. No US edition.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann is the true first (1961). Original first issue was withdrawn and largely pulped for libel; the revised text followed in 1970. The 1961 first issue is the rarity.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue. The withdrawn 1961 first issue is the key point.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Worm and the Ring* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-worm-and-the-ring
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.