The Vendor of Sweets
The Vendor of Sweets is an R. K. Narayan novel first published in New York by Viking Press in 1967; the Bodley Head issued it in London that year as The Sweet-Vendor. Set in Malgudi, it follows Jagan, a Gandhian sweet-seller, and his strained bond with his son Mali.
- Editions tracked
- 2
- First edition
- Viking, 1967
- First published
- Viking Press, New York, 1967
- First UK edition
- The Bodley Head, 1967
The first edition of The Vendor of Sweets by R. K. Narayan was published in New York by Viking in 1967. We track 2 editions.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
Later and other editions
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
- 7 on Open Library, 4 in English
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
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Who published the first edition of The Vendor of Sweets?
The first edition of The Vendor of Sweets by R. K. Narayan was published in New York by Viking in 1967.
How many editions of The Vendor of Sweets are there?
We track 2 editions of The Vendor of Sweets, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Where these facts come from
- The Vendor of Sweets, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The vendor of sweets (1967 edition), Open Library (openlibrary.org)
- The sweet-vendor, Open Library (openlibrary.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 10 November 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.