# Is "Strange Pilgrims" by Gabriel García Márquez a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Strange Pilgrims by Gabriel García Márquez (Alfred A. Knopf, 1993) is identified by: US Knopf issue with 'First American Edition' stated on the copyright page beneath a descending number line ending in 1, translated by Edith Grossman, New York, 1993. First English-language edition of the twelve-story collection Doce cuentos peregrinos (Spanish 1992).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Knopf issue with 'First American Edition' stated on the copyright page beneath a descending number line ending in 1, translated by Edith Grossman, New York, 1993
- The publisher's binding is royal-purple (violet) full cloth with the title stamped in gilt to the spine
- The photo-illustrated first-state dust jacket was designed by Carol Devine Carson and carries a printed date code of 10/93 at the foot of the rear inside flap; the printed cover price should be present on the front flap
- A concurrent Jonathan Cape UK issue also appeared in 1993
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gabriel García Márquez |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | American edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Knopf issue with 'First American Edition' stated on the copyright page beneath a descending number line ending in 1, translated by Edith… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Knopf issue with 'First American Edition' stated on the copyright page beneath a descending number line ending in 1, translated by Edith Grossman, New York, 1993. The publisher's binding is royal-purple (violet) full cloth with the title stamped in gilt to the spine. The photo-illustrated first-state dust jacket was designed by Carol Devine Carson and carries a printed date code of 10/93 at the foot of the rear inside flap; the printed cover price should be present on the front flap. A concurrent Jonathan Cape UK issue also appeared in 1993.

## Is this the true first?
First English-language edition of the twelve-story collection Doce cuentos peregrinos (Spanish 1992). The Knopf first American edition and the Jonathan Cape UK edition both appeared in 1993; the Knopf issue is identified by the stated 'First American Edition' and the 10/93 jacket date code.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The book-club edition is identified by a small blind-stamp to the rear board, a jacket printed without a price, and the absence of the descending number line and the 10/93 jacket date code found on the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Strange Pilgrims* by Gabriel García Márquez a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/strange-pilgrims
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.