# Is "Light Shining in Buckinghamshire" by Caryl Churchill a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Light Shining in Buckinghamshire by Caryl Churchill (Pluto Press, 1978) is identified by: First published by Pluto Press, London, 1978, in the Pluto Plays series, issued in printed wrappers (ISBN 0904383741 / 978-0904383744), a slim volume of roughly 39 pages. UK Pluto Press first, issued in wrappers as a Pluto Plays title; no hardcover first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published by Pluto Press, London, 1978, in the Pluto Plays series, issued in printed wrappers (ISBN 0904383741 / 978-0904383744), a slim volume of roughly 39 pages
- The play was developed with the Joint Stock Theatre Group
- The first edition is the wrappered Pluto Plays original; there was no simultaneous cloth issue
- Publisher imprint reads Pluto Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Caryl Churchill |
| Publisher | Pluto Press |
| Year | 1978 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published by Pluto Press, London, 1978, in the Pluto Plays series, issued in printed wrappers (ISBN 0904383741 / 978-0904383744), a… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First published by Pluto Press, London, 1978, in the Pluto Plays series, issued in printed wrappers (ISBN 0904383741 / 978-0904383744), a slim volume of roughly 39 pages. The play was developed with the Joint Stock Theatre Group. The first edition is the wrappered Pluto Plays original; there was no simultaneous cloth issue.

## Is this the true first?
UK Pluto Press first, issued in wrappers as a Pluto Plays title; no hardcover first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book club edition. Later Nick Hern / Methuen printings under different ISBNs are distinct later issues.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Light Shining in Buckinghamshire* by Caryl Churchill a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/light-shining-in-buckinghamshire
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.