# Is "Time for a Tiger" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Time for a Tiger by Anthony Burgess (William Heinemann, 1956) is identified by: First edition in publisher's blue-grey cloth, titles gilt on spine, with dust jacket. UK Heinemann is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition in publisher's blue-grey cloth, titles gilt on spine, with dust jacket
- Burgess's first novel and volume 1 of The Malayan Trilogy
- Octavo, [viii], 214, [2] pp
- Genuinely scarce; no contemporary US edition
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition in publisher's blue-grey cloth, titles gilt on spine, with dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition in publisher's blue-grey cloth, titles gilt on spine, with dust jacket. Burgess's first novel and volume 1 of The Malayan Trilogy. Octavo, [viii], 214, [2] pp. Genuinely scarce; no contemporary US edition.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann is the true first. The novel was later collected with its two sequels in the US omnibus The Long Day Wanes (W. W. Norton), first published in 1964.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue; a key early rarity.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Time for a Tiger* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/time-for-a-tiger
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.