# Is "Eight Mortal Ladies Possessed" by Tennessee Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Eight Mortal Ladies Possessed by Tennessee Williams (New Directions, 1974) is identified by: New Directions 1974, first printing. US New Directions 1974 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- New Directions 1974, first printing
- A book of eight stories
- The hardcover issue is bound in green cloth stamped in black and carries a pictorial dust jacket designed by Gertrude Huston; a paperbound (wrappers) issue was released simultaneously
- The clothbound jacket should retain its printed price
- Publisher imprint reads New Directions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Tennessee Williams |
| Publisher | New Directions |
| Year | 1974 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | New Directions 1974, first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
New Directions 1974, first printing. A book of eight stories. The hardcover issue is bound in green cloth stamped in black and carries a pictorial dust jacket designed by Gertrude Huston; a paperbound (wrappers) issue was released simultaneously. The clothbound jacket should retain its printed price.

## Is this the true first?
US New Directions 1974 is the true first. The UK Secker & Warburg edition followed in 1975, a year later, so the US precedes clearly rather than being close behind.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Eight Mortal Ladies Possessed* by Tennessee Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/eight-mortal-ladies-possessed
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.