# Is "The History of the Siege of Lisbon" by José Saramago a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The History of the Siege of Lisbon by José Saramago (Harvill, 1996) is identified by: The Harvill Press, London, 1996, first edition, translated from the Portuguese by Giovanni Pontiero, with the copyright page stating 'First Impression' and no later printings indicated; 312 pages. First English translation of História do Cerco de Lisboa (Lisbon, 1989).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Harvill Press, London, 1996, first edition, translated from the Portuguese by Giovanni Pontiero, with the copyright page stating 'First Impression' and no later printings indicated
- 312 pages
- This is the true first English-language edition
- US Harcourt Brace followed in 1997
- Publisher imprint reads Harvill
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | José Saramago |
| Publisher | Harvill |
| Year | 1996 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Harvill Press, London, 1996, first edition, translated from the Portuguese by Giovanni Pontiero, with the copyright page stating 'First… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The Harvill Press, London, 1996, first edition, translated from the Portuguese by Giovanni Pontiero, with the copyright page stating 'First Impression' and no later printings indicated; 312 pages. This is the true first English-language edition; US Harcourt Brace followed in 1997.

## Is this the true first?
First English translation of História do Cerco de Lisboa (Lisbon, 1989). The UK Harvill 1996 edition, marked First Impression, precedes the US Harcourt Brace 1997 edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition recorded; the US Harcourt Brace 1997 issue is distinguished by its own imprint and dating.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The History of the Siege of Lisbon* by José Saramago a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-history-of-the-siege-of-lisbon
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.