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Adam and Charles Blackfounded 1807 (Edinburgh); collectible literary firsts c.1902–1915 (the Wodehouse titles)No 'First Edition' statement and no printer's number line: like nearly all British houses Allen & Unwin (Australia)1990-present (Australian independent)First printings state "First published [Year]" with the descending number line ending in 1Allen Lane1967–presentCopyright page states 'First published [year]' / 'First published in Great Britain [year] André Deutsch1951-present (imprint within other groups later)First editions state "First published [Year]" or "First published in Great Britain [Year] Bloomsbury Publishing1986-presentFirst printings carry a full descending number line "10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1" on the copyrighCassell & Co.1848-presentPre-early-1920s: year printed on the TITLE PAGE of the first edition with the copyright paChatto & Windus1855-presentNo first-edition statement is the norm. Per the authoritative QBbooks/Bookman's and ILAB pFaber & Faber1929-present (Faber & Gwyer from 1925)First printings state "First published in [Year]" (often "First published in mcmxxxx") on Faber-style note: book-club & confusions (cross-publisher)1930s-1990s (peak UK book-club era)UK book-club editions typically OMIT the price from the dust-jacket flap and/or carry a smFourth Estate1984–present (HarperCollins from 2000)Copyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in [year] by Fourth Estate' (earlyGeoffrey Blesfounded 1923; independent trade imprint until acquired by William Collins c.1953; the Bles imprint name continued in use into the 1970s (the name was bought by The Garnstone Press from Collins in 1971)Look for the British-style edition statement on the copyright/verso page: a true first priGeorge Allen & Unwin1914-1990 (UK independent); Australian arm continuesFirst editions state "First published [Year]" or "First published in [Year]" on the copyriGerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd.founded 1898; independent literary house through the mid-20th c. (Anthony Powell titles 1931–1936)Duckworth is NOT separately listed in the standard publisher-by-publisher first-edition guGranta Books1989–presentCopyright page states 'First published in Great Britain by Granta Books [year]'; a first cHamish Hamilton1931-presentFirst editions state "First published in Great Britain [Year]" or "First published [Year]"Harvill Press1946–2005 (continued as Harvill Secker)Copyright page states 'First published [year]' or 'First published in Great Britain [year]Headlinefounded 1986 (independent, floated 1991); acquired Hodder & Stoughton in 1993 to become Hodder Headline; WH Smith 1999; Hachette Livre 2005; now a Hachette UK imprintFind the dated 'First published' statement on the copyright (imprint) page. As a modern BrHerbert Jenkinsfounded 1912; independent through 1963; merged 1964 with Barrie & Rockliff to form Barrie & JenkinsThe identification method depends on the era, because Jenkins changed practice around 1929Hodder & Stoughton1868-presentPre-1940s: no consistent practice — first/later printing identification is unreliable and Jonathan Cape1921-presentFirst printings state "First published [Year]" or "First published in Great Britain [Year]Macmillan (UK)1843-presentPre-mid-1920s: no statement on firsts; only later printings were noted (rely on negative eMcClelland & Stewart1906-presentPRIMARY (era-dependent): M&S has no single universal first-printing convention; method depMethuen & Co.1889-presentSince 1905: state "First published in [Year]" or "First published in Great Britain [Year]"Michael Joseph1935-presentFirst editions state "First published [Year]" or "First published in Great Britain [Year]"Pan Macmillan / Picador (UK)1947 (Pan) / 1972 (Picador)-presentFirst printings carry a number line, typically descending ending in 1 (1 present = first);Penguin Books1935-presentFor reprint titles, firsts are flagged "First published [elsewhere/date]" with the PenguinSceptre1986–presentCopyright page states 'First published in [year] by Hodder & Stoughton'; Sceptre is the liSecker & Warburg (Martin Secker & Warburg)1910 (Martin Secker) / 1936-present (Secker & Warburg)Pre-1940s: firsts either carried NO statement or occasionally "First published [Year]" witSphere Books1966–1990 (original imprint; revived 2006 as a Hachette/Little, Brown imprint)Read the copyright/imprint page, not the back cover. Like nearly all British mass-market pThe Bodley Head1887-presentFrom c.1929 onward, first editions state 'First published [Year]' or 'First published [MonTinder Press2013–presentCopyright page states 'First published in [year] by Tinder Press', an imprint of Headline Victor Gollancz1927-presentPre-1984: NO first-edition statement was made — first printings carry no 'First published'Weidenfeld & Nicolson1949-presentFirst editions state "First published in Great Britain [Year] by Weidenfeld & Nicolson" onWilliam Collins, Sons & Co. (Collins)1819-1990 (independent); HarperCollins thereafterFirst editions either carry NO additional printing statement on the copyright page or statWilliam Heinemann1890-present1890-1921: year of publication printed on the TITLE PAGE of first editions; on later print
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