# Is "The Worm Ouroboros" by E.R. Eddison a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison (Jonathan Cape, 1922) is identified by: The London Jonathan Cape first printing of 1922, illustrated and decorated throughout by Keith Henderson (frontispiece, two-color title-page decoration, decorated endpapers, plates, and tailpieces), in black cloth with gilt lettering on the spine and a design on the front board. The UK Cape 1922 edition is the true first; the US Boni edition of 1926 is the first American edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The London Jonathan Cape first printing of 1922, illustrated and decorated throughout by Keith Henderson (frontispiece, two-color title-page decoration, decorated endpapers, plates, and tailpieces), in black cloth with gilt lettering on the spine and a design on the front board
- Confirm the Cape imprint and the 1922 date with no later printing line
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | E.R. Eddison |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1922 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The London Jonathan Cape first printing of 1922, illustrated and decorated throughout by Keith Henderson (frontispiece, two-color… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The London Jonathan Cape first printing of 1922, illustrated and decorated throughout by Keith Henderson (frontispiece, two-color title-page decoration, decorated endpapers, plates, and tailpieces), in black cloth with gilt lettering on the spine and a design on the front board. Confirm the Cape imprint and the 1922 date with no later printing line.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Cape 1922 edition is the true first; the US Boni edition of 1926 is the first American edition. A landmark of heroic fantasy.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition applies; the traps are later reprints (Dutton, and the Ballantine Adult Fantasy paperback). Verify the Cape imprint, 1922 date, and Henderson decorations.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Worm Ouroboros* by E.R. Eddison a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-worm-ouroboros
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.