# Is "Urgent Copy" by Anthony Burgess a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Urgent Copy by Anthony Burgess (Jonathan Cape, 1968) is identified by: Jonathan Cape, London, 1968; octavo, 272 pages, in publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt to the spine, in an unclipped pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the flap. UK Jonathan Cape 1968 is the true first, in blue cloth with pictorial jacket; the US Norton edition followed the same year (1968).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Jonathan Cape, London, 1968; octavo, 272 pages, in publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt to the spine, in an unclipped pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the flap
- A collection of Burgess's literary essays and reviews
- The UK Cape edition precedes the US W. W. Norton edition
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anthony Burgess |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Jonathan Cape, London, 1968; octavo, 272 pages, in publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt to the spine, in an unclipped pictorial dust… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Jonathan Cape, London, 1968; octavo, 272 pages, in publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt to the spine, in an unclipped pictorial dust jacket that should retain its printed price on the flap. A collection of Burgess's literary essays and reviews. The UK Cape edition precedes the US W. W. Norton edition.

## Is this the true first?
UK Jonathan Cape 1968 is the true first, in blue cloth with pictorial jacket; the US Norton edition followed the same year (1968).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue noted.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Urgent Copy* by Anthony Burgess a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/urgent-copy
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.