Of Mice and Men
Of Mice and Men is a novella by John Steinbeck, first published by Covici Friede in New York in 1937, with Heinemann issuing the first British edition in London that year. In the Great Depression, ranch hands George and Lennie dream of owning land in California.
- Editions tracked
- 2
- First edition
- Covici-Friede, 1937
- First published
- Covici Friede, New York, 1937
- First UK edition
- William Heinemann, 1937
The first edition of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck was published in New York, USA by Covici-Friede in 1937; the first UK edition followed from Heinemann in 1937. We track 2 editions, with the points that separate the first printing from later ones.
Spot the first edition: Page 9, near the foot: sentence about the hands ends with the word "pendula" (first issue) Full identification guide
Which edition do you have?
First edition
Later and other editions
- Heinemann1937 Hardback Sold £340 · Sep 2025 I own Of Mice and Men, Heinemann 1937 Log in to want this
Awards, adaptations and setting
Setting and characters
- Set in
- California
- Genre
- tragedy
In print
- Editions recorded
- 309 on Open Library, 185 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 1 language
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 Steinbeck
Questions about Of Mice and Men
No questions yet. Not sure which edition you have, or whether a detail matters? Be the first to ask: collectors and our editors answer.
Reviews of Of Mice and Men
Read it or own it? Share what Of Mice and Men is like to read or collect.
Know what you are looking at
Of Mice and Men First Edition: How to Identify the 1937 Covici-Friede, and Is It Still on the GCSE?
The first edition of Of Mice and Men is the Covici-Friede hardback, New York, 1937: beige cloth, a $2.00 jacket, …
Read the guide →10 min readBooks You Had to Read at School: What Your Old Copy Is Worth
The copy you read at school is almost always worth a few pounds or dollars at most: school editions were …
Read the guide →7 min readHow 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 …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of Of Mice and Men?
The first edition of Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck was published in New York, USA by Covici-Friede in 1937.
How many editions of Of Mice and Men are there?
We track 2 editions of Of Mice and Men, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Where these facts come from
- Of Mice and Men, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- Of Mice and Men (Q457977), Wikidata (wikidata.org)
- Interesting Editions of John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, Books Tell You Why (blog.bookstellyouwhy.com)
- Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Rare and Antique Books (rareandantiquebooks.com)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.
More pictures
.jpg){kind=link}