# Is "Waiting" by Ha Jin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Waiting by Ha Jin (Pantheon Books, 1999) is identified by: First Edition stated on the copyright page above the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1; Pantheon Books (New York) imprint; black boards with yellow spine lettering; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap. The US Pantheon hardcover of 1999 is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First Edition stated on the copyright page above the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1
- Pantheon Books (New York) imprint; black boards with yellow spine lettering; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Pantheon Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ha Jin |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First Edition stated on the copyright page above the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First Edition stated on the copyright page above the number line 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1; Pantheon Books (New York) imprint; black boards with yellow spine lettering; first-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Pantheon hardcover of 1999 is the true first edition. It won the 1999 National Book Award for Fiction and the 2000 PEN/Faulkner Award, and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the First Edition statement and the number line, lack the printed jacket price, are typically smaller, and may carry a blind stamp to the rear board.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Waiting* by Ha Jin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/waiting
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.