# Is "Bewilderment" by Richard Powers a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Bewilderment by Richard Powers (W. W. Norton, 2021) is identified by: Norton, New York, September 2021. US W.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- W. W. Norton, New York, September 2021. 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page with a full descending number line ending in 1
- The book is bound in one-piece black cloth with silver lettering to the spine only, a plain front board, and plain ivory endpapers; it runs to 278 numbered pages
- The unclipped pictorial dust jacket carries a night-sky design and the printed price should be present on the front flap
- ISBN 9780393881141
- Publisher imprint reads W. W. Norton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Powers |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton |
| Year | 2021 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | W. W. Norton, New York, September 2021. 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page with a full descending number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
W. W. Norton, New York, September 2021. 'First Edition' is stated on the copyright page with a full descending number line ending in 1. The book is bound in one-piece black cloth with silver lettering to the spine only, a plain front board, and plain ivory endpapers; it runs to 278 numbered pages. The unclipped pictorial dust jacket carries a night-sky design and the printed price should be present on the front flap. ISBN 9780393881141.

## Is this the true first?
US W. W. Norton is the true first, published September 2021; the UK first was Hutchinson Heinemann in 2021. Booker Prize shortlist.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Bewilderment* by Richard Powers a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/bewilderment
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.