How to identify a first printing
- Copyright page states 'First published [year]' / 'First published in Great Britain [year] by Allen Lane'; a first carries no later-impression note. Penguin convention identifies firsts by the 'First published' statement (reprints read 'First Penguin edition' or note a reprint).
- Penguin-family number line on modern titles; a first printing ends in '1' (e.g. '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2', the Penguin odd-up/even-down style).
- Allen Lane is Penguin's hardcover imprint, so an Allen Lane hardcover can be the true first of a work also issued later in Penguin paperback — do not assume the paperback is the first.
Notable points & cautions
- Founded 1967 as Penguin founder Allen Lane's eponymous hardback imprint for serious non-fiction (history, science, politics, economics, philosophy); distinct from the mass-market Penguin paperback line.
- The original imprint carried the fuller name 'Allen Lane The Penguin Press' on early copyright pages.
- Modern Allen Lane titles follow Penguin Random House number-line conventions.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Allen Lane, Allen Lane The Penguin Press, Penguin Press (current serious non-fiction hardcover line). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Allen Lane book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Copyright page states 'First published [year]' / 'First published in Great Britain [year] by Allen Lane'; a first carries no later-impression note. Penguin convention identifies firsts by the 'First published' statement (reprints read 'First Penguin edition' or note a reprint). Penguin-family number line on modern titles; a first printing ends in '1' (e.g. '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2', the Penguin odd-up/even-down style).
Does Allen Lane use a number line?
Penguin-family number line on modern titles; a first printing ends in '1' (e.g. '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2', the Penguin odd-up/even-down style).
Is a book-club edition a Allen Lane first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1967 as Penguin founder Allen Lane's eponymous hardback imprint for serious non-fiction (history, science, politics, economics, philosophy); distinct from the mass-market Penguin paperback line.
What era does this cover?
This covers Allen Lane (1967–present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Allen Lane titles with documented first-edition points
Each link opens that title’s specific points of issue — the exact marks that separate a true first printing from a later one.
- Shuttlecock (Graham Swift, 1981)
- The Sweet Shop Owner (Graham Swift, 1980)
- Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder (Richard Dawkins, 1998)