How to identify a first printing
- First editions state "First published in Great Britain [Year] by Weidenfeld & Nicolson" on the copyright page; later printings noted
- Modern W&N (Orion group) uses a number line ending in 1; lowest digit = printing
- First printing = statement present and/or number line ending in 1, with no later-edition notation
- Confirm absence of reprint/impression lines
Notable points & cautions
- Published the controversial UK first of Nabokov's 'Lolita' (1959), Saul Bellow (UK), Mary Renault, Antonia Fraser
- Founded 1949; now part of the Orion/Hachette group
- Number-line era applies to most of the modern list
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, Phoenix, Orion (later group), W&N. Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Weidenfeld & Nicolson book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. First editions state "First published in Great Britain [Year] by Weidenfeld & Nicolson" on the copyright page; later printings noted Modern W&N (Orion group) uses a number line ending in 1; lowest digit = printing
Does Weidenfeld & Nicolson use a number line?
Modern W&N (Orion group) uses a number line ending in 1; lowest digit = printing
Is a book-club edition a Weidenfeld & Nicolson first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Published the controversial UK first of Nabokov's 'Lolita' (1959), Saul Bellow (UK), Mary Renault, Antonia Fraser
What era does this cover?
This covers Weidenfeld & Nicolson (1949-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.
Weidenfeld & Nicolson 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 Devil's Chaplain: Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science, and Love (Richard Dawkins, 2003)
- Books of Blood, Volumes I–III (Clive Barker, 1984)
- G. (John Berger, 1972)
- Little Wilson and Big God (Anthony Burgess, 1986)
- River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life (Richard Dawkins, 1995)
- The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution (Richard Dawkins, 2004)
- The Damnation Game (Clive Barker, 1985)
- The Open Space of Democracy (Terry Tempest Williams, 2004)
- The Siege of Krishnapur (J. G. Farrell, 1973)
- Time Shelter (Georgi Gospodinov (trans. Angela Rodel), 2022)