The novel was first published in the United Kingdom in 2002, in trade paperback by Scribners (ISBN 0-7432-2033-1), followed by a hardcover by Gollancz (ISBN 0-575-07002-1) in 2003.
British magazine The Bookseller reported in May 2003, that The Separation was "to be republished by Orion after the author bought back the rights from Simon & Schuster."