A35

Ian McEwan – What We Can Know

A35 a. UK Edition

1a. First Edition – Standard

Jonathan Cape. Published 18th September 2025. Hardback. black endpapers, half-title, title, [iii], 295 pages numbered 3-297, [iii], 4 blanks. Pages 233mm x 150mm. Black boards; down spine in white: ‘Ian McEwan  What We Can Know  (Cape logo)’. ISBN 978-1-787-33573-8.

Dustjacket. 562mm x 240mm. Front: the painting ‘Sail to the Sky’ by Louise Body; in white ‘Ian McEwan’, in yellow ‘What | We | Can | Know’. Price on front flap £22.00.

1b. First Edition – Sprayed edges

Jonathan Cape. Published 18th September 2025. Hardback. black endpapers, half-title, title, [iii], 295 pages numbered 3-297, [iii], 4 blanks. Pages 233mm x 150mm. Pages edges are sprayed yellow. Black boards; down spine in white: ‘Ian McEwan  What We Can Know  (Cape logo)’. ISBN 978-1-787-33573-8.

Dustjacket. 562mm x 240mm. Front: the painting ‘Sail to the Sky’ by Louise Body; in white ‘Ian McEwan’, in yellow ‘What | We | Can | Know’. Price on front flap £22.00.

Note: This variant is exactly the same as the standard first edition except:

  • the page edges are sprayed yellow.
  • The bar code on the back of the dustjacket has a different number.
  • Above the dustjacket bar code is the ISBN which is absent from the standard edition.
  • All copies that have been sighted are signed by Ian McEwan to the title page and have a sticker on the front of the dustjacket that states ‘Independent Bookshop Signed Exclusive Edition’.

2. Proof

Jonathan Cape. Paperback. Half title, title, [iii], 295 pages numbered 3-297, [iii], 4 blanks. Pages 197mm x 122mm. Front: the painting ‘Sail to the Sky’ by Louise Body; in yellow ‘Each time | we fail, | or calamities | overwhelm us, | we will come | back from | a slightly | higher place.’ Down spine in white ’18 Sept | 2025  Ian McEwan’, in yellow ‘What We Can Know’ and in white ‘(Cape logo)’.

3. Ephemera

These items of marketing ephemera were issued by Vintage:

  1. A card bookmark, 210mm x 74mm, featuring the dustjacket art with the title and author on one side and a tag line on the other.
  2. An off-white, recycled cotton tote bag with the title, author and publisher on one side.
  3. A bookplate, 90mm x 70mm, using the dustjacket art as a border. These were given away at the Edinburgh Book Festival in August 2025.

See photos below.

A35 b. USA Edition

1. First Edition

Alfred A. Knopf. Published 23rd September 2025. Hardback. White endpapers, [i], half title, title, [iii], 295 pages numbered 3-297, [iv], 2 blanks. Pages 231mm x 149mm. Dark green boards; down spine in gilt: ‘What We Can Know  Ian McEwan  (Borzoi logo) Alfred A. Knopf’. ISBN 978-0-593-80472-8.

Dustjacket. 564mm x 240mm. Front: An image of an ornately framed mirror laying on the ground and surrounded by autumn leaves and metal machine parts; superimposed in white ‘WHAT | WE CAN | KNOW | a novel | Ian | McEWAN | author of ATONEMENT’. Price on front flap $30.00.

Note: The bar code panel on the back has the ISBN 979-8-217-20785-5 which is completely different from the official one.

Note 1: At the time of publication some copies were put on sale with a ‘Signed Copy’ sticker on the dustjacket front. These have an additional leaf, signed by Ian McEwan, tipped-in after the first free endpaper.

2. Proof

Alfred A. Knopf. Paperback. [ii], half title, title, [iii], 295 pages numbered 3-297, [iii], 2 blanks. Pages 234mm x 147mm. Front: An image of an ornately framed mirror laying on the ground and surrounded by autumn leaves and metal machine parts; superimposed in white ‘WHAT | WE CAN | KNOW | a novel | Ian | McEWAN | author of ATONEMENT’, and on the centre right the Knopf Borzoi logo ‘Advance Reader’s Edition’ device. Down spine in white ‘WHAT WE CAN KNOW  IAN McEWAN  On Sale | 9/23/2025  (Borzoi logo) KNOPF’.

See photos below.