# Is "Waiting for the Barbarians" by J. M. Coetzee a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Waiting for the Barbarians by J. M. Coetzee (Secker & Warburg, 1980) is identified by: First published 1980 by Secker & Warburg, London, so stated on the copyright page; black boards with gilt spine lettering and a laminated pictorial dust jacket priced in sterling, unclipped on first-issue jackets. True first is the UK Secker & Warburg 1980 edition; the South African Ravan Press edition (Johannesburg) appeared in 1981 and is a later issue, and the US Penguin/Viking edition is later still.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published 1980 by Secker & Warburg, London, so stated on the copyright page; black boards with gilt spine lettering and a laminated pictorial dust jacket priced in sterling, unclipped on first-issue jackets
- Publisher imprint reads Secker & Warburg
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | J. M. Coetzee |
| Publisher | Secker & Warburg |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published 1980 by Secker & Warburg, London, so stated on the copyright page; black boards with gilt spine lettering and a laminated… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First published 1980 by Secker & Warburg, London, so stated on the copyright page; black boards with gilt spine lettering and a laminated pictorial dust jacket priced in sterling, unclipped on first-issue jackets.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the UK Secker & Warburg 1980 edition; the South African Ravan Press edition (Johannesburg) appeared in 1981 and is a later issue, and the US Penguin/Viking edition is later still. Despite Coetzee being South African, London preceded here.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club edition; the key distinction is UK Secker 1980 versus the 1981 Ravan Press South African printing - the Ravan is collectible but NOT the true first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Waiting for the Barbarians* by J. M. Coetzee a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/waiting-for-the-barbarians
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.