# Is "Work Suspended: Two Chapters of an Unfinished Novel" by Evelyn Waugh a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Work Suspended: Two Chapters of an Unfinished Novel by Evelyn Waugh (Chapman & Hall, 1942) is identified by: First edition limited to 500 copies, published 21 December 1942; red cloth gilt-lettered to spine. London Chapman & Hall 1942 limited issue of 500 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition limited to 500 copies, published 21 December 1942; red cloth gilt-lettered to spine
- The unfinished-novel fragment; many copies are author presentation copies inscribed at Christmas 1942
- Publisher imprint reads Chapman & Hall
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Evelyn Waugh |
| Publisher | Chapman & Hall |
| Year | 1942 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition limited to 500 copies, published 21 December 1942; red cloth gilt-lettered to spine |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition limited to 500 copies, published 21 December 1942; red cloth gilt-lettered to spine. The unfinished-novel fragment; many copies are author presentation copies inscribed at Christmas 1942.

## Is this the true first?
London Chapman & Hall 1942 limited issue of 500 is the true first. A revised and expanded version later appeared in 'Work Suspended and Other Stories' (1948).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Scarce limited issue; no separate trade first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Work Suspended: Two Chapters of an Unfinished Novel* by Evelyn Waugh a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/work-suspended-two-chapters-of-an-unfinished-novel
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.