How to identify a first printing
- Copyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in [year] by Fourth Estate' (early independent years sometimes 'Fourth Estate Ltd').
- Descending number line; a first printing ends in '1' (e.g. '1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2' or '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1').
- No subsequent-impression or reprint note appears on a true first.
Notable points & cautions
- Founded 1984 by Victoria Barnsley as an independent in Notting Hill; acquired by HarperCollins in 2000, after which titles follow HarperCollins number-line conventions.
- Independent-era firsts (1984–2000) are the more sought-after; the original independent imprint details on the copyright page help confirm a pre-HarperCollins first.
- Hilary Mantel ('Wolf Hall', 'Bring Up the Bodies'), Anthony Doerr and Siddhartha Mukherjee (UK editions), and Carol Ann Duffy have appeared under Fourth Estate.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Fourth Estate, 4th Estate, William Collins (sister HarperCollins literary imprint). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Fourth Estate book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Copyright page states 'First published in Great Britain in [year] by Fourth Estate' (early independent years sometimes 'Fourth Estate Ltd'). Descending number line; a first printing ends in '1' (e.g. '1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2' or '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1').
Does Fourth Estate use a number line?
Descending number line; a first printing ends in '1' (e.g. '1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2' or '9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1').
Is a book-club edition a Fourth Estate first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Founded 1984 by Victoria Barnsley as an independent in Notting Hill; acquired by HarperCollins in 2000, after which titles follow HarperCollins number-line conventions.
What era does this cover?
This covers Fourth Estate (1984–present (HarperCollins from 2000)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Fourth Estate 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.
- A Caribbean Mystery (Agatha Christie, 1964)
- Absent in the Spring (Mary Westmacott (Agatha Christie), 1944)
- Appointment with Death (Agatha Christie, 1938)
- At Bertram's Hotel (Agatha Christie, 1965)
- Bring Up the Bodies (Hilary Mantel, 2012)
- British Dramatists (Graham Greene, 1942)
- By the Pricking of My Thumbs (Agatha Christie, 1968)
- Cards on the Table (Agatha Christie, 1936)
- Cat Among the Pigeons (Agatha Christie, 1959)
- Curtain: Poirot's Last Case (Agatha Christie, 1975)
- Dumb Witness (US: Poirot Loses a Client) (Agatha Christie, 1937)
- Elephants Can Remember (Agatha Christie, 1972)
- Endless Night (Agatha Christie, 1967)
- Evil Under the Sun (Agatha Christie, 1941)
- Giant's Bread (Mary Westmacott (Agatha Christie), 1930)
- Half of a Yellow Sun (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 2006)
- Hallowe'en Party (Agatha Christie, 1969)
- Inés of My Soul (Isabel Allende, 2006)
- Island Beneath the Sea (Isabel Allende, 2010)
- Lord Edgware Dies (US: Thirteen at Dinner) (Agatha Christie, 1933)
- Maya's Notebook (Isabel Allende, 2013)
- Murder in Mesopotamia (Agatha Christie, 1936)
- Murder in the Mews (US: Dead Man's Mirror) (Agatha Christie, 1937)
Documenting 54 Fourth Estate titles in all — browse the full title-by-title library →