# Is "Women" by Charles Bukowski a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Women by Charles Bukowski (Black Sparrow Press, 1978) is identified by: Issued in trade paperback wrappers and a trade hardcover of 500 unnumbered copies, plus a signed/numbered hardcover limited of 300 copies (blue cloth backstrip over printed paper boards, spine label, acetate jacket) and a signed deluxe state of 91 copies with an original painting tipped in. True first is the 1978 Black Sparrow issue; the 300 signed/numbered hardcovers and the 91-copy artwork state are the limited states.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Issued in trade paperback wrappers and a trade hardcover of 500 unnumbered copies, plus a signed/numbered hardcover limited of 300 copies (blue cloth backstrip over printed paper boards, spine label, acetate jacket) and a signed deluxe state of 91 copies with an original painting tipped in
- Color-printed title page marks the first printing; no statement of later printings
- Publisher imprint reads Black Sparrow Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Charles Bukowski |
| Publisher | Black Sparrow Press |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Issued in trade paperback wrappers and a trade hardcover of 500 unnumbered copies, plus a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Novel. Issued in trade paperback wrappers and a trade hardcover of 500 unnumbered copies, plus a signed/numbered hardcover limited of 300 copies (blue cloth backstrip over printed paper boards, spine label, acetate jacket) and a signed deluxe state of 91 copies with an original painting tipped in. Color-printed title page marks the first printing; no statement of later printings.

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1978 Black Sparrow issue; the 300 signed/numbered hardcovers and the 91-copy artwork state are the limited states.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Women* by Charles Bukowski a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/women
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.