Virago Press

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Virago Press is an English publisher specializing in sophisticated literature by and for women.

Virago Press was founded in 1973 by Carmen Callil, who wondered why there were specialty publishers for all sorts of interests and minorities, but none that cared for "52% of the world's population" - women. The publishing program was influenced by the “ Women's Lib ” movement, but not radically feminist; the publisher was often caught between two chairs, but was soon given a boost by the strong reaction of the media. With its specific program, Virago quickly became a household name. Virago celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2013.

The published authors include contemporary writers such as Margaret Atwood , but also older English literature such as Elizabeth von Arnim . Virago publishes a classic series of works by Jane Austen , George Eliot , the Brontë sisters and others, as well as a series of modern classics such as Marilyn French , Joyce Carol Oates , Eudora Welty and Edith Wharton .

In 1997, Virago was taken over by Little, Brown and belonged to the Time Warner Books UK group. This holding company was bought in 2006 by the Hachette Book Group , which in turn is wholly owned by the largest publishing house in France , Hachette Livre . Hachette Livre is part of the part of Lagardère Media . Virago is one of the 15 imprints of the Little, Brown Book Group UK. Callil left the publishing house in 1995, where she last served as chairman. In 1992, Lennie Goodings, who has been with the publisher since 1978, became the publishing director. She reduced her responsibility for day-to-day business in 2017 and published an autobiography, A Bite of the Apple: Behind the Scenes at Virago Press in February 2020.

The publisher has been publishing the Virago Modern Classics series since 1978 and the Virago Modern Classics for Young Readers series since 2013 . Virago publishes around 35 titles per year and has 755 titles on its backlist in 2020 .

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Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Susanne Rustin: Lennie Goodings: Virago survived Because it's a brand with a philosophy (interview). July 20, 2013, accessed May 31, 2020 .
  2. ↑ Explore our Imprints. Accessed May 31, 2020 .
  3. ↑ About Hachette UK. Accessed May 31, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Heloise Wood: Goodings steps back from Virago as Savitt takes over. In: The Bookseller. May 31, 2017, accessed May 31, 2020 .
  5. ↑ Bidisha: A Bite of the Apple by Lennie Goodings - essential literary memoir. In: The Observer . February 23, 2020, accessed May 31, 2020 .