# Is "Waterland" by Graham Swift a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Waterland by Graham Swift (William Heinemann, 1983) is identified by: True first is William Heinemann (London), 1983, stating 'First published 1983'; cloth boards in a pictorial dust jacket priced 7.the printed price (an unclipped, unfaded jacket is preferred). UK Heinemann 1983 is the true first; the US Poseidon Press 1984 edition is a first-thus.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is William Heinemann (London), 1983, stating 'First published 1983'; cloth boards in a pictorial dust jacket priced 7.the printed price (an unclipped, unfaded jacket is preferred)
- The UK Heinemann edition precedes the US Poseidon Press 1984 edition
- Note a revised UK edition also exists; the 1983 Heinemann first impression is the true first
- Publisher imprint reads William Heinemann
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Graham Swift |
| Publisher | William Heinemann |
| Year | 1983 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is William Heinemann (London), 1983, stating 'First published 1983'; cloth boards in a pictorial dust jacket priced 7.the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first is William Heinemann (London), 1983, stating 'First published 1983'; cloth boards in a pictorial dust jacket priced 7.the printed price (an unclipped, unfaded jacket is preferred). The UK Heinemann edition precedes the US Poseidon Press 1984 edition. Note a revised UK edition also exists; the 1983 Heinemann first impression is the true first.

## Is this the true first?
UK Heinemann 1983 is the true first; the US Poseidon Press 1984 edition is a first-thus. Booker-shortlisted; Swift's best-known novel.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club edition of note. Confirm the Heinemann (London) 1983 first impression versus the later revised UK edition and the US Poseidon printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Waterland* by Graham Swift a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/waterland
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.