# Is "Far Away" by Caryl Churchill a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Far Away by Caryl Churchill (Nick Hern Books, 2000) is identified by: Softcover in wrappers (no hardcover was issued); Nick Hern Books, London, 2000, ISBN 1-85459-600-4, published to coincide with the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs premiere in November 2000. UK Nick Hern Books first (2000).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Softcover in wrappers (no hardcover was issued)
- Nick Hern Books, London, 2000, ISBN 1-85459-600-4, published to coincide with the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs premiere in November 2000
- A trade play text with the printed cover price present
- Publisher imprint reads Nick Hern Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Caryl Churchill |
| Publisher | Nick Hern Books |
| Year | 2000 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Softcover in wrappers (no hardcover was issued) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Softcover in wrappers (no hardcover was issued); Nick Hern Books, London, 2000, ISBN 1-85459-600-4, published to coincide with the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs premiere in November 2000. A trade play text with the printed cover price present.

## Is this the true first?
UK Nick Hern Books first (2000). The US Theatre Communications Group edition (ISBN 1-55936-199-9) is later.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition; NHB play texts are trade softcovers only. Later Nick Hern issues include a separate 2020 Donmar Warehouse revival edition (ISBN 978-1-84842-873-7) with a distinct cover and its own ISBN, which is not the 2000 first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Far Away* by Caryl Churchill a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/far-away
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.