# Is "What Are We Doing Here?: Essays" by Marilynne Robinson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of What Are We Doing Here?: Essays by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018) is identified by: First trade edition states 'First edition' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1. US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition is the first American edition, published February 2018.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First trade edition states 'First edition' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover in dust jacket, published in the United States in February 2018, with the printed jacket price present on the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Marilynne Robinson |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 2018 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First trade edition states 'First edition' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First trade edition states 'First edition' on the copyright page with a full number line descending to 1. Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover in dust jacket, published in the United States in February 2018, with the printed jacket price present on the flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition is the first American edition, published February 2018. A UK edition from Virago (Little, Brown), ISBN 9780349010465, appeared very close in time the same year, so US-vs-UK precedence is near-simultaneous rather than sharply US-first; collectors should compare the imprint and copyright page.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *What Are We Doing Here?: Essays* by Marilynne Robinson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/what-are-we-doing-here-essays
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.