How to identify a first printing
- Modern Goose Lane titles state 'first edition' and carry a number line ('1' present = first printing) on the copyright page.
- Predecessor Fiddlehead Poetry Books titles (1950s-1970s) are small chapbook/poetry runs; identify by the Fiddlehead Poetry Books imprint, the original year, and the absence of later-printing notes. Many are scarce single-printing items.
- icehouse poetry imprint titles follow the parent Goose Lane copyright-page convention.
Notable points & cautions
- Canada's oldest surviving independent publisher: traces to Fiddlehead Poetry Books, founded 1954 by Fred Cogswell in Fredericton, growing out of his work editing The Fiddlehead literary journal.
- Era change matters: a 'Fiddlehead Poetry Books' imprint indicates the early era; 'Goose Lane Editions' indicates the post-1981 era. The press was renamed in 1981 when Cogswell retired and passed it to Peter Thomas. Attribute the imprint to the correct era when describing a first.
- Strong Atlantic-Canada and poetry list; icehouse poetry is the dedicated poetry imprint.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Goose Lane Editions, Fiddlehead Poetry Books (predecessor, 1954-1981), icehouse poetry (poetry imprint). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Goose Lane Editions book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Modern Goose Lane titles state 'first edition' and carry a number line ('1' present = first printing) on the copyright page. Predecessor Fiddlehead Poetry Books titles (1950s-1970s) are small chapbook/poetry runs; identify by the Fiddlehead Poetry Books imprint, the original year, and the absence of later-printing notes. Many are scarce single-printing items.
Does Goose Lane Editions use a number line?
Predecessor Fiddlehead Poetry Books titles (1950s-1970s) are small chapbook/poetry runs; identify by the Fiddlehead Poetry Books imprint, the original year, and the absence of later-printing notes. Many are scarce single-printing items.
Is a book-club edition a Goose Lane Editions first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Canada's oldest surviving independent publisher: traces to Fiddlehead Poetry Books, founded 1954 by Fred Cogswell in Fredericton, growing out of his work editing The Fiddlehead literary journal.
What era does this cover?
This covers Goose Lane Editions (1954-present (Fiddlehead Poetry Books 1954-1981; Goose Lane Editions 1981-present)). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.