# Is "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (J. B. Lippincott, 1960) is identified by: First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement beneath the copyright notice. US J.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement beneath the copyright notice
- Binding: brown paper-covered boards with a green cloth spine, lettered in gilt
- First-issue dust jacket (designed by Shirley Smith) shows the original printed price at the flap, a photograph of Harper Lee on the REAR panel credited to Truman Capote (his name at lower right), and a blurb by Jonathan Daniels on the rear flap
- The first printing was about 5,000 copies
- Publisher imprint reads J. B. Lippincott
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Harper Lee |
| Publisher | J. B. Lippincott |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement beneath the copyright notice |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement beneath the copyright notice. Binding: brown paper-covered boards with a green cloth spine, lettered in gilt. First-issue dust jacket (designed by Shirley Smith) shows the original printed price at the flap, a photograph of Harper Lee on the REAR panel credited to Truman Capote (his name at lower right), and a blurb by Jonathan Daniels on the rear flap. The first printing was about 5,000 copies.

## Is this the true first?
US J. B. Lippincott (Philadelphia, 1960) is the true first; the UK first (Heinemann, London, 1960) is a separate first that follows the US. The signature jacket point is the Truman Capote-credited author photograph on the rear panel — Capote took the photo; he did not contribute a blurb (the flap blurb is Jonathan Daniels). Lee rarely signed; authentic signatures are scarce and frequently forged, so provenance is essential.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the 'First Edition' statement, show a blind-stamp (dimple) on the rear board, have an unpriced jacket flap, and are physically smaller and lighter. The most-faked element is a forged signature — treat any 'signed' copy lacking provenance with suspicion.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *To Kill a Mockingbird* by Harper Lee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/to-kill-a-mockingbird
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.