# Is "The Tale of the Unknown Island" by José Saramago a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Tale of the Unknown Island by José Saramago (Harvill, 1999) is identified by: The first English translation was issued in 1999 in two distinct formats: the UK Harvill edition (ISBN 1-86046-690-7) and the US Harcourt Brace hardcover (ISBN 0-15-100595-8). First English translation of O Conto da Ilha Desconhecida (1997); both the UK Harvill and US Harcourt editions are dated 1999, with the two English-language firsts appearing in the same year in different formats (Harvill and Harcourt hardcover).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first English translation was issued in 1999 in two distinct formats: the UK Harvill edition (ISBN 1-86046-690-7) and the US Harcourt Brace hardcover (ISBN 0-15-100595-8)
- Both were translated from the Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa and illustrated by Peter Sís
- The Harcourt issue is a jacketed hardcover; on a first-state copy the printed price should be present (unclipped) on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Harvill
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | José Saramago |
| Publisher | Harvill |
| Year | 1999 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first English translation was issued in 1999 in two distinct formats: the UK Harvill edition (ISBN 1-86046-690-7) and the US Harcourt… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
The first English translation was issued in 1999 in two distinct formats: the UK Harvill edition (ISBN 1-86046-690-7) and the US Harcourt Brace hardcover (ISBN 0-15-100595-8). Both were translated from the Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa and illustrated by Peter Sís. The Harcourt issue is a jacketed hardcover; on a first-state copy the printed price should be present (unclipped) on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
First English translation of O Conto da Ilha Desconhecida (1997); both the UK Harvill and US Harcourt editions are dated 1999, with the two English-language firsts appearing in the same year in different formats (Harvill and Harcourt hardcover).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition recorded.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Tale of the Unknown Island* by José Saramago a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-tale-of-the-unknown-island
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.