First Edition Points and Criteria for The Kite Runner

Year Published: 2003
Author Last Name: Hosseini
Author First Name: Khaled
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Original Price: $24.95
Pages: 324

Copyright page has number line "1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2". Boards are green with black cloth spine. The back of the dust jacket has a letter from the publisher and no other reviews.

There is some question as to whether the U.S. or UK edition is the true first. We believe that the U.S. edition is the true first for the following reasons: The publisher of the UK edition was Bloomsbury, and their website says that the Kite Runner was first published in the UK in September 2003. As for the U.S. edition; there is a code on the dust jacket flap that says "0306", which means it was printed in June 2003. This suggests that the American edition precedes the UK version by three months. Also, in the bookís Acknowledgements, Hosseini writes the following: "I would like to thank Susan Petersen Kennedy [President of Penguin Group (USA) and Publisher of Riverhead Books] for taking a chance on this book and the hardworking staff at Riverhead for laboring over it."


Picture of the 2003 first edition dust jacket for The Kite Runner.


Picture of the first edition copyright page for The Kite Runner.


Picture of dust jacket where original $24.95 price is found for The Kite Runner.


Picture of the back dust jacket for the first edition of The Kite Runner.


Picture of the first edition Riverhead Books boards for The Kite Runner.


Picture of the back dust jacket flap for the first edition of The Kite Runner.




This is the bottom of the front flap of Riverhead's first edition dust jacket. The "0306" code means that the dust jacket was printed in June 2003.


This is a screen shot from the Bloomsbury website. It states that The Kite Runner was "first published in the UK in September 2003".

Other first edition points for books by Khaled Hosseini include: A Thousand Splendid Suns.