# Is "Why We Can't Wait" by Martin Luther King Jr. a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King Jr. (Harper & Row, New York, 1964) is identified by: True first is Harper & Row, New York, 1964. Harper & Row, New York, 1964 is the recognised true first and the collected first — identify it by the stated 'FIRST EDITION' plus the 'D-O' Harper printing code (D = April, O = 1964).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is Harper & Row, New York, 1964
- Decisive point: the copyright page reads 'FIRST EDITION' AND carries the Harper letter-code 'D-O' (D = April, O = 1964), fixing the April 1964 first printing
- Original half black cloth with gilt-stamped spine, Harper's torch device and '1817' on the binding; octavo, 178 pp, deckled fore-edge; eight pages of black-and-white photogravures; in a priced dust jacket (price present at the flap)
- This is the first book appearance, in full, of the 'Letter from Birmingham Jail.' Confirm BOTH the 'First Edition' statement and the 'D-O' code
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Martin Luther King Jr. |
| Publisher | Harper & Row, New York |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | True first is Harper & Row, New York, 1964 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
True first is Harper & Row, New York, 1964. Decisive point: the copyright page reads 'FIRST EDITION' AND carries the Harper letter-code 'D-O' (D = April, O = 1964), fixing the April 1964 first printing. Original half black cloth with gilt-stamped spine, Harper's torch device and '1817' on the binding; octavo, 178 pp, deckled fore-edge; eight pages of black-and-white photogravures; in a priced dust jacket (price present at the flap). This is the first book appearance, in full, of the 'Letter from Birmingham Jail.' Confirm BOTH the 'First Edition' statement and the 'D-O' code.

## Is this the true first?
Harper & Row, New York, 1964 is the recognised true first and the collected first — identify it by the stated 'FIRST EDITION' plus the 'D-O' Harper printing code (D = April, O = 1964). Later Harper printings carry different month/year codes or drop the 'First Edition' line; the census note's US-first standing holds.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition is the first. Distinguish the first printing from later Harper printings strictly by the copyright-page 'First Edition' statement and the 'D-O' code; publisher's review copies exist but share the first-printing points.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Why We Can't Wait* by Martin Luther King Jr. a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/why-we-cant-wait
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.