# Is "Wind/Pinball: Two Novels" by Haruki Murakami a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Wind/Pinball: Two Novels by Haruki Murakami (Alfred A. Knopf, 2015) is identified by: US Knopf 2015, First American Edition stated on the copyright page with the number line ending in 1; translated by Ted Goossen and containing 'Hear the Wind Sing' and 'Pinball, 1973.' The jacket and binding were designed by Chip Kidd. First widely distributed English edition of Murakami's first two novels, issued in new Goossen translations.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Knopf 2015, First American Edition stated on the copyright page with the number line ending in 1; translated by Ted Goossen and containing 'Hear the Wind Sing' and 'Pinball, 1973.' The jacket and binding were designed by Chip Kidd
- A priced dust jacket should be present on a first-issue copy
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Haruki Murakami |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2015 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Knopf 2015, First American Edition stated on the copyright page with the number line… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Knopf 2015, First American Edition stated on the copyright page with the number line ending in 1; translated by Ted Goossen and containing 'Hear the Wind Sing' and 'Pinball, 1973.' The jacket and binding were designed by Chip Kidd. A priced dust jacket should be present on a first-issue copy.

## Is this the true first?
First widely distributed English edition of Murakami's first two novels, issued in new Goossen translations. Earlier Alfred Birnbaum English translations existed only as Kodansha English Library pocketbooks sold in Japan. US Knopf and UK Harvill Secker both appeared in August 2015, effectively simultaneous, with a near-simultaneous Canadian Bond Street Books printing. Japanese originals 1979/1980.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Wind/Pinball: Two Novels* by Haruki Murakami a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/wind-pinball-two-novels
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.