# Is "Visiting Mrs Nabokov and Other Excursions" by Martin Amis a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Visiting Mrs Nabokov and Other Excursions by Martin Amis (Jonathan Cape, 1993) is identified by: Non-fiction collection bound in black cloth boards with gilt-lettered spine and issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed price; 274 pages (ISBN 0224038249). UK Cape (October 1993, ISBN 0224038249) precedes the first US edition from Harmony Books (1995).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Non-fiction collection bound in black cloth boards with gilt-lettered spine and issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed price
- 274 pages (ISBN 0224038249)
- First-printing copies carry the full number line; later impressions are stated
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Martin Amis |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Non-fiction collection bound in black cloth boards with gilt-lettered spine and issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed price |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Non-fiction collection bound in black cloth boards with gilt-lettered spine and issued in a dust jacket that should retain its printed price; 274 pages (ISBN 0224038249). First-printing copies carry the full number line; later impressions are stated.

## Is this the true first?
UK Cape (October 1993, ISBN 0224038249) precedes the first US edition from Harmony Books (1995).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are identified by an added impression statement.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Visiting Mrs Nabokov and Other Excursions* by Martin Amis a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/visiting-mrs-nabokov-and-other-excursions
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.