# Is "My Uncle Oswald" by Roald Dahl a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl (Michael Joseph, 1979) is identified by: First published by Michael Joseph in London in 1979, Dahl's first adult novel. UK Michael Joseph true first (1979); the US Knopf edition followed in 1980.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published by Michael Joseph in London in 1979, Dahl's first adult novel
- Bound in dark blue cloth (boards) with the spine lettered in gilt
- The pictorial dust jacket was designed by Dave Senior and carries the original printed price; the first printing shows the single 'First published' statement with no later-printing notice added beneath it
- Publisher imprint reads Michael Joseph
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Roald Dahl |
| Publisher | Michael Joseph |
| Year | 1979 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | First published by Michael Joseph in London in 1979, Dahl's first adult novel |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First published by Michael Joseph in London in 1979, Dahl's first adult novel. Bound in dark blue cloth (boards) with the spine lettered in gilt. The pictorial dust jacket was designed by Dave Senior and carries the original printed price; the first printing shows the single 'First published' statement with no later-printing notice added beneath it.

## Is this the true first?
UK Michael Joseph true first (1979); the US Knopf edition followed in 1980.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions and later printings lack the single-statement issue point; later impressions are stated beneath the 'First published' line, and book-club copies lack the printed jacket price. A first shows dark blue cloth, gilt spine, and the Dave Senior jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *My Uncle Oswald* by Roald Dahl a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/my-uncle-oswald
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.