A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces is a comic novel by John Kennedy Toole, first published by Louisiana State University Press in 1980, eleven years after his death. Walker Percy championed it after Toole's mother pressed the manuscript on him. It won the 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
- Editions tracked
- 3
- First edition
- Louisiana State University Press, 1980
- First published
- Louisiana State University Press, 1980
The first edition of A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole was published in Baton Rouge by Louisiana State University Press in 1980; the first UK edition followed from Allen Lane in 1981. We track 3 editions.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st Louisiana State University Press1980 Hardback I own A Confederacy of Dunces, Louisiana State University Press 1980 Log in to want this
Later and other editions
- Allen Lane1981 Hardback Sold £340 · Sep 2025 I own A Confederacy of Dunces, Allen Lane 1981 Log in to want this
- Grove Press1987 Paperback I own A Confederacy of Dunces, Grove Press 1987 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
In print
- Editions recorded
- 69 on Open Library, 31 in English
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
First UK and first US editions compared
The US edition came first, so it is the true first. The other is the first edition in its own country, collected in its own right but usually worth less.
More by John Kennedy Toole
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How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
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Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of A Confederacy of Dunces?
The first edition of A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole was published in Baton Rouge by Louisiana State University Press in 1980.
How many editions of A Confederacy of Dunces are there?
We track 3 editions of A Confederacy of Dunces, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Where these facts come from
- A Confederacy of Dunces, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- A Confederacy of Dunces (Q627749), Wikidata (wikidata.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 21 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.