Sophie's Books



The Man With The Dancing Eyes
English : Bloomsbury ISBN 0747563271 (UK copy)
English : Bloomsbury ISBN 158234342X (US copy)
German : List ISBN 3471773517 [retitled "Der Mann Mit Den Tanzenden Augen"]
German: List ISBN 3548604617 [retitled as above, 2004 reissue with typographical differences to front cover]
French: Jeunesse ISBN 2226143394 [retitled "Amour et Pois de Senteur", released 2006]
Italian: Donzelli ISBN 8860364701 [retitled "L'Uomo Dagli Occhi Danzanti", released 2010]

[Released on 15th January 2003, but with official launch date of February 14th. Hence, promotion for book geared towards latter date. First edition complete with Dust Cover. Signing sessions for the book saw Sophie accompanied by the illustrator, Annie Morris, who rather than signing the book, drew an extra illustration instead. Illustrations include two hand written notes between 'Pierre' & 'The Man', the two main characters in the book - Sophie was responsible for Pierre's illustration! German version entirely translated into German, including the hand written notes and includes other typographical changes, mostly on the inside of the dust cover. French version similarly altered from UK edition. In addition to all these, Waterstones stores in the UK offered "pre-signed" copies for sale, which came with a suitably stickered cover. Italian paperback edition features a different Annie Morris illustration on the front.
NOTE: The catalogue numbers listed on these pages relate, more or less, to the initial pressings. Details of any reissues of this or any other of the books mentioned on these pages, can be found by clicking on the "2011" button - yes, some do exist! Also, newer books by and featuring Sophie can be found there as well. Listed below, however, are some more from pre-2011.]





Playing With The Grown-ups
English 1st Edition Hardback : Bloomsbury ISBN 07475 77775X
English Hardback : Bloomsbury ISBN 07475 77773
English Uncorrected Proof Copy : Bloomsbury ISBN 978 0 7475 7777 5
English Paperback: Bloomsbury ISBN 0 7475 9352 2
English : Nan A Talese ISBN 03855 24617 (US Copy)
English: Anchor ISBN 0307388352 (US Paperback reissue)
German : Bloomsbury Berlin ISBN 3827007674 [retitled "Die Spiele der Erwachsenen"]
German 2010 Reissue: Bloomsbury Berlin ISBN 3833350539 [also retitled]
Italian: Frassinelli ISBN 9788876848506

[Released on 22nd October 2007, although proof copy lists release date as 1st October. Copies were sold at the Cheltenham Literature Festival when Sophie appeared on 14th October, although may have gone on sale at start of Festival on 5th October. Proof copy is a softback "promo" copy, with "Not For Resale" on cover, and several pages where "Copy to follow" is listed in lieu of details regarding items such as "A Note On The Author". Rear cover gives detail of (at the time) forthcoming promotional tie-ins, promo blurb like "it should not be quoted without comparison to the finally revised text", and recommended retail price. There are certain differences between proof and retail copies as regards the actual text, but too awkward to fully detail! Of note, is that the proof copy refers to "The Present" as sub headings as times, the retail copy does not. Retail copy in "posher" sleeve, chapter 14 in proof copy does not exist in retail copy, and instead forms end of chapter 13. 1st edition limited to 550 signed and numbered copies WORLDWIDE, housed inside special slipcase, but given that 22nd October release date relates to UK issue, all 550 copies believed to have been sold in UK only, especially as a sticker on the back claims it is exclusive to Waterstones stores. 1st editions all sold shrinkwrapped, and the Waterstones sticker is outside the shrinkwrap, as is an ISBN barcode sticker. German copies originally shrinkwrapped, with barcode sticker on rear - 2010 reissue in unique lime green cover. US edition not released until 2008, only a month before UK paperback release, in totally different cover. Advance copies exist, showing slightly different ISBN number on rear, with "Not For Sale" printed on front, and "On Sale April 2008" on spine. US copies differ in other ways, most notably the inclusion of a note from Nan A Talese on the first page "introducing the writer". US Paperback reissue published Feb 2009. Italian edition in unique cover and retitiled "Quando Ti Vedo Andare Via", and issued around June 2009. UK Paperback comes in totally new cover (also used for at least one other foreign language reissue as well), reviews inside front cover and full page picture of Sophie inside rear cover, later used on a poster that was distributed around several London Tube stations - picture below.]






Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights
English Hardback : Harper Collins ISBN 0007261179
German Hardback: Bloomsbury Berlin ISBN 3827009103 [retitled "Verfuhrerisch: Kochen mit Sophie Dahl"]
USA Hardback: William Morrow Cookbooks ISBN 0061450995
English 2010 Hardback release: Harper Collins ISBN 0007876587

[Sophie's third book is not actually a novel, but a "cookbook" - which may explain why it was not published by Bloomsbury. Released on 30th April 2009, the above image shows the book complete with it's 'title sash' which can be removed to show the picture of Sophie "untouched". Websites prior to it's release showed book with pink cover (and no Sophie picture). Amazon UK website shows (hopefully) Sophie interview about the book here : http://www.amazon.co.uk/Miss-Dahls-Voluptuous-Delights-Sophie/dp/0007261179/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241216395&sr=8-1 whilst the week before it's release, Sophie appeared on cover of "You" magazine, with online version of article here : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1172571/Sophie-Dahl-ate-fat-happy.html. The picture above was taken by the webmaster during the book signing at Selfridges in London, and despite the fact I had not met Soph for some 18 months, she remembered who I was and was impressed I had travelled down from Birmingham to see her!

US edition published 2nd March 2010. No wraparound sash, but a "normal" book cover with photo reduced in size, and pink flash across top with title. UK edition reissued 4th March 2010 - sash also missing, but full cover picture, albeit with new "title label" printed across photo. However, this issue includes a dust cover, which when removed, reveals full photo on inside cover. Spine differs from 2009 edition, whilst there are also minor differences on rear of dust cover, when compared to rear of original edition. Most, if not all, 2010 editions include "As Seen On TV" sticker on front, although these appear in different places on different versions. No mention of 2010 release date appears inside, although new ISBN number is shown inside, but otherwise identical to 2009 version. UK edition reissued in paperback, Feb 2012 (ISBN 0007281315). Other translated editions exist, including a retitled Dutch edition.]


Sophie has also made a contribution to these books.

Truth Or Dare
Hardback : Picador ISBN 0-330-43479-9
Softback : Picador ISBN 0-330-43201-X
Audio Cassette : Picador ISBN 1405046562 (unconfirmed)
Uncorrected Proof Copy : Picador ISBN 0-330-43479-9

[Released on 1st October 2004. Subtitled “A Book Of Secrets Shared” – 11 writers contributed stories from their private lives. Uncorrected proof has text on front cover in slightly different places, and some errors inside. There are no Sophie photographs in any of these editions. Softback issued on August 5th 2005, complete with alternative cover image. The audio book was due for release during 2005, but believed to have been cancelled.]

When We Were Young
Bloomsbury ISBN 0747571813

[Released on 18th October 2004, this “Compendium Of Childhood” features a mountain of contributions from the likes of Patricia Hodge, Michael Palin, Sophie and more, each contributing a short story about an aspect of their childhood. As with “Truth Or Dare”, there are no pictures of Sophie. Proceeds from the book went to the charity Unicef.]

Rare Birds
Powerhouse ISBN 1576872661

[Released on 30th September 2005, this “ten-year-retrospective” photobook by Amanda de Cadenet about her life features an unpublished picture of Sophie, who also wrote the words in the book with fashion designer Marc Jacobs, referred to as “A Conversation with Marc Jacobs and Sophie Dahl”. Amanda, who started life as a teenage model before becoming a UK TV presenter and then a photographer in the US, has been friends with Sophie for several years – hence the collaboration on the book. Amanda had previously photographed Sophie in 2003 for a French magazine. An article about Amanda, complete with a re-print of the Sophie picture from the book, is in the November 2005 edition of "Tatler", which also features a rarely-seen photo of the pair together at the "Playstation" party in 2002.]

The Secret Garden
Puffin Classics ISBN 978-0-141-32106-6

[Originally released in 1909, this 2008 paperback reissue was published on 28th February. Part of a series of reissues of classic books, the book comes with various "extras", including an introduction from our Sophie.]

Nightingale Wood
Virago Modern Classics ISBN 978-1-84408-572-9

[Another reissue with a Sophie intro, this edition is a 2009 paperback reissue of a 1938 novel - reissued on 2nd April.]

Don't Tell Alfred
Penguin ISBN 014 1044004

[And another reissue with a Sophe intro - this reissue dated 4th March 2010.]