Virago Press
Encyclopedia
Virago is a British publishing company
founded in 1973 by Carmen Callil
to publish books by women writers. Both new works and reissued books by neglected authors have featured on the imprint's list.
In 1982 Virago became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chatto
, Virago, Bodley Head
, and Cape
Group, but in 1987 Callil, Lennie Goodings, Ursula Owen
, Alexandra Pringle, and Harriet Spicer
put together a management buy-out
from CVBC, then owned by Random House
, USA. The buy-out was financed by Rothschild Ventures and Robert Gavron. Random House
UK kept a ten per cent stake in the company, and continued to handle sales and distribution.
In 1993 Rothschild Ventures sold their shares to the directors and Gavron, who thus became the largest single shareholder. After a downturn in the market forced a reduction in activity, the board decided to sell the company to Little, Brown
, of which Virago became an imprint in 1996 (with Lennie Goodings as Publisher and Sally Abbey as Senior Editor). In 2006, Virago's parent company became part of publishing group Hachette Livre
. Lennie Goodings remains as editor and publisher.
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
founded in 1973 by Carmen Callil
Carmen Callil
Carmen Thérèse Callil is a publisher, writer and critic. She founded Virago Press in 1973.-Life:Callil was born in Melbourne Australia, but has lived in London since 1960. Her mother Lorraine Clare Allen, widowed in her early forties, raised four children of whom Carmen was the third...
to publish books by women writers. Both new works and reissued books by neglected authors have featured on the imprint's list.
In 1982 Virago became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Chatto
Chatto and Windus
Chatto & Windus has been, since 1987, an imprint of Random House, publishers. It was originally an important publisher of books in London, founded in the Victorian era....
, Virago, Bodley Head
The Bodley Head
The Bodley Head is an English publishing house, founded in 1887 and existing as an independent entity until the 1970s. The name has been used as an imprint of Random House Children's Books since 1987...
, and Cape
Jonathan Cape
Jonathan Cape was a London-based publisher founded in 1919 as "Page & Co" by Herbert Jonathan Cape , formerly a manager at Duckworth who had worked his way up from a position of bookshop errand boy. Cape brought with him the rights to cheap editions of the popular author Elinor Glyn and sales of...
Group, but in 1987 Callil, Lennie Goodings, Ursula Owen
Ursula Owen
Ursula Margaret Sachs is a publisher, editor and campaigner for free expression.-Early life:She was born Ursula Margaret Sachs in Oxford, England, to Emma Boehm and Werner Sachs, a chemical engineer who became managing director of a multinational company dealing with non ferrous metals...
, Alexandra Pringle, and Harriet Spicer
Harriet Spicer
Harriet Greville Spicer is a lay member of the Judicial Appointments Commission. She was born on 24 April 1950 to James Spicer, the then owner of Spicer's Paper and Patricia Palmer. She lived in Chelsea before attending Lillsden School for Girls and then Benenden School. In 1968 she spent some time...
put together a management buy-out
Management buyout
A management buyout is a form of acquisition where a company's existing managers acquire a large part or all of the company.- Overview :Management buyouts are similar in all major legal aspects to any other acquisition of a company...
from CVBC, then owned by Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
, USA. The buy-out was financed by Rothschild Ventures and Robert Gavron. Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
UK kept a ten per cent stake in the company, and continued to handle sales and distribution.
In 1993 Rothschild Ventures sold their shares to the directors and Gavron, who thus became the largest single shareholder. After a downturn in the market forced a reduction in activity, the board decided to sell the company to Little, Brown
Little, Brown and Company
Little, Brown and Company is a publishing house established by Charles Coffin Little and his partner, James Brown. Since 2006 it has been a constituent unit of Hachette Book Group USA.-19th century:...
, of which Virago became an imprint in 1996 (with Lennie Goodings as Publisher and Sally Abbey as Senior Editor). In 2006, Virago's parent company became part of publishing group Hachette Livre
Hachette Livre
-France:*Calmann-Lévy*Deux Coqs d'Or*Disney Hachette Edition*EDICEF*Editions 1*Editions du Chêne**E.P.A*Éditions Dunod*Editions Foucher*Editions Stock*Fayard**Editions Mille et Une Nuits**Editions Mazarine**Pauvert*Gautier-Languereau*Grasset...
. Lennie Goodings remains as editor and publisher.