# Is "The Time of Our Singing" by Richard Powers a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Time of Our Singing by Richard Powers (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2003) is identified by: First printing follows the Farrar, Straus and Giroux convention: "First edition" stated on the copyright page with the year 2003, accompanied by a complete number line in which the digit 1 identifies the first printing (FSG removes the 1 on subsequent printings). The US Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition, published January 22, 2003, is the true first and holds precedence; a UK William Heinemann (London) edition also appeared in 2003 but followed the US publication.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing follows the Farrar, Straus and Giroux convention: "First edition" stated on the copyright page with the year 2003, accompanied by a complete number line in which the digit 1 identifies the first printing (FSG removes the 1 on subsequent printings)
- The correct first-printing printed price should be present on an unclipped front jacket flap
- Bound in publisher's boards with a printed dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Richard Powers |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 2003 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing follows the Farrar, Straus and Giroux convention: "First edition" stated on the copyright page with the year 2003… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing follows the Farrar, Straus and Giroux convention: "First edition" stated on the copyright page with the year 2003, accompanied by a complete number line in which the digit 1 identifies the first printing (FSG removes the 1 on subsequent printings). The correct first-printing printed price should be present on an unclipped front jacket flap. Bound in publisher's boards with a printed dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
The US Farrar, Straus and Giroux edition, published January 22, 2003, is the true first and holds precedence; a UK William Heinemann (London) edition also appeared in 2003 but followed the US publication.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition of consequence; identify the first by the stated FSG "First edition" and the complete number line retaining the 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Time of Our Singing* by Richard Powers a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-time-of-our-singing
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.