# Is "When We Were Orphans" by Kazuo Ishiguro a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro (Faber & Faber, 2000) is identified by: Cloth-backed boards, gilt spine lettering; copyright page carries a full number line ending in 1 with no statement of later impression; dust jacket priced 16.99 net on the front flap. The UK Faber first edition (2000) precedes the US Knopf edition (2000) and is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Cloth-backed boards, gilt spine lettering; copyright page carries a full number line ending in 1 with no statement of later impression; dust jacket priced 16.99 net on the front flap
- Booker Prize shortlisted
- Publisher imprint reads Faber & Faber
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kazuo Ishiguro |
| Publisher | Faber & Faber |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Cloth-backed boards, gilt spine lettering; copyright page carries a full number line ending in 1 with no statement of later impression… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Cloth-backed boards, gilt spine lettering; copyright page carries a full number line ending in 1 with no statement of later impression; dust jacket priced 16.99 net on the front flap. Booker Prize shortlisted.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Faber first edition (2000) precedes the US Knopf edition (2000) and is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later impressions add an impression statement and/or remove the 1 from the number line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *When We Were Orphans* by Kazuo Ishiguro a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/when-we-were-orphans
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.