# Is "Kiss Kiss" by Roald Dahl a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl (Alfred A. Knopf, 1960) is identified by: For the UK Michael Joseph issue: publisher's green cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, pale yellow endpapers, and the top edge stained red; the dust jacket was designed by Charles E. Precedence is genuinely close and debated.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- For the UK Michael Joseph issue: publisher's green cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, pale yellow endpapers, and the top edge stained red; the dust jacket was designed by Charles E. Skaggs and carries its original printed price to the front flap
- The copyright page follows Michael Joseph's standard single-statement practice ('Published in Great Britain' with the date and no later dates or printing statements)
- For the US Knopf issue: the copyright page carries a 'First Edition' statement with the title page also dated, in a first-issue jacket bearing the original printed flap price
- Adult short stories
- Correct publisher/imprint: Alfred A. Knopf

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roald Dahl |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1960 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Comic / graphic novel |
| Key point | For the UK Michael Joseph issue: publisher's green cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, pale yellow endpapers, and the top edge stained… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
For the UK Michael Joseph issue: publisher's green cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, pale yellow endpapers, and the top edge stained red; the dust jacket was designed by Charles E. Skaggs and carries its original printed price to the front flap. The copyright page follows Michael Joseph's standard single-statement practice ('Published in Great Britain' with the date and no later dates or printing statements). For the US Knopf issue: the copyright page carries a 'First Edition' statement with the title page also dated, in a first-issue jacket bearing the original printed flap price. Adult short stories.

## Is this the true first?
Precedence is genuinely close and debated. The UK Michael Joseph edition and the US Knopf edition both appear in 1960, and at least one dealer dates the Knopf issue 1959, which would make it the chronological first. Many collectors treat the Michael Joseph UK issue as the true first, while others hold Knopf earliest; confirm the dated copyright page and stated 'First Edition' (Knopf) or the single 'Published in Great Britain' statement (Michael Joseph).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the publisher's 'First Edition' statement and the printed flap price, and are typically on thinner boards.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Kiss Kiss* by Roald Dahl a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/kiss-kiss
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.