# Virgin Books

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British book publisher

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Virgin Books Status Active Founded 1979 (1979)[1] Founder Richard Branson Country of origin United Kingdom Headquarters location London Distribution The Book Service Publication types Books Owners Random House (90%) Virgin Group (10%) Official website penguin.co.uk/company/publishers/ebury/virgin-books.html

**Virgin Books** is a British book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group [Random House](/source/Random_House), and 10% owned by [Virgin Group](/source/Virgin_Group), the company originally set up by [Richard Branson](/source/Richard_Branson) as a [record company](/source/Record_label).

## History

Virgin established its book publishing arm in the late 1970s; in the latter part of the 1980s Virgin purchased several existing companies, including [WH Allen](/source/W._H._Allen_%26_Co.), well known among *[Doctor Who](/source/Doctor_Who)* fans for their [Target Books](/source/Target_Books) imprint; Virgin Books was incorporated into WH Allen in 1989, but in 1991 WH Allen was renamed Virgin Publishing Ltd.

Virgin Publishing's early success came with the *Doctor Who* [New Adventures](/source/Virgin_New_Adventures) novels, officially licensed full-length novels carrying on the story of the popular science-fiction television series following its cancellation in 1989. Virgin published this series from 1991 to 1997, as well as a range of *Doctor Who* reference books from 1992 to 1998 under the **Doctor Who Books** imprint.

In recent times the company is best known for its commercial non-fiction list, which includes business, health and lifestyle, music, film, and celebrity biographies. [Richard Branson](/source/Richard_Branson)'s autobiography *[Losing My Virginity](/source/Losing_My_Virginity)*, released in 1998, was an international best-seller at the time, and continues to sell well. His follow-up title *Business Stripped Bare* was published in September 2008. Virgin Business Guides included titles by [Robert Craven](/source/Robert_Craven), Paul Barrow and Rachelle Thackray. More recently the company has enjoyed success with [Robert H Frank](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_H_Frank&action=edit&redlink=1)'s *The Economic Naturalist*, where the author had his economics students pose interesting questions from everyday life and explain them through economics.

[Random House](/source/Random_House), through its United Kingdom division, acquired a 90% stake in the company in March 2007.[2] In November 2009, Virgin became an independent imprint within [Ebury Publishing](/source/Ebury_Publishing), a division of the Random House Group.[3]

## Imprints

Other popular ranges have included various [erotic fiction](/source/Erotic_fiction) lines:

- **Black Lace** specializes in [erotica](/source/Erotica) and [erotic romance](/source/Erotic_romance) written by female authors specifically for heterosexual female readers. The imprint does not publish novels written by men partly as a marketing scheme, partly to better appeal to their target demographic. The books explore women's sexuality as well as such themes as [BDSM](/source/BDSM), [group sex](/source/Group_sex) and [bisexuality](/source/Bisexuality). The imprint began publishing in 1993, has published over 250 titles and sold over three million books. In 2006, Black Lace developed three specific lines within the imprint: contemporary, historical and paranormal. Black Lace also publishes short story anthologies, novella collections and in 2007 launched its first trilogy, a series of werewolf erotica by [Mathilde Madden](/source/Mathilde_Madden). The imprint marked its fifteen-year anniversary in 2008 with re-issues of several of its original novels. In 2009, Virgin announced that Black Lace would add no new titles in 2010.[4] The line was relaunched in 2012.[5]

- **Nexus Books**, [sado-masochistic](/source/Sadomasochism) pornography written mostly for men who have sex with women, and women who have sex with men or women. In 2009, Virgin announced that Nexus would add no new titles in 2010.[4]

- **Idol** for gay men (defunct).

- **Sapphire** for lesbians (defunct).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-penguinbooks_1-0)** ["Virgin Books – More about Virgin Books"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180902135548/https://www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk/publishers/ebury/virgin-books/). Archived from [the original](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.co.uk/publishers/ebury/virgin-books/) on 2 September 2018. Retrieved 31 March 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-sale_2-0)** Joel Rickett, [Random House UK buys Virgin Books](http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/publisher/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003553676) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070926225412/http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/publisher/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003553676) 26 September 2007 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), *[The Bookseller](/source/The_Bookseller)*, 5 March 2007 (via Internet Archive)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Benedicte Page, ["Virgin joins Ebury stable, Sadler leaving"](http://www.thebookseller.com/news/101574-virgin-joins-ebury-stable-sadler-leaving.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20091207031816/http://www.thebookseller.com/news/101574-virgin-joins-ebury-stable-sadler-leaving.html) 7 December 2009 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), *[The Bookseller](/source/The_Bookseller)*, 2 November 2009

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bookseller2_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bookseller2_4-1) Benedicte Page, [Erotica on hold for Black Lace and Nexus at Virgin](http://www.thebookseller.com/books/book-news/90338-erotica-on-hold-for-black-lace-and-nexus-at-virgin.html)[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*], *[The Bookseller](/source/The_Bookseller)*, 6 July 2009

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Benedicte Page, [Ebury to revive Black Lace](http://www.thebookseller.com/news/ebury-revive-black-lace.html), *[The Bookseller](/source/The_Bookseller)*, 26 April 2012. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120429043657/http://www.thebookseller.com/news/ebury-revive-black-lace.html) 2012-04-29 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

## External links

- [Official website](http://www.virginbooks.com/)

v t e Bertelsmann Bertelsmann Home Entertainment Arcadia Entertainment Aris Ekdotiki ClipArt Films Feelgood Entertainment Fiction Pictures JP Video Productions Libero Video Lucifier Video Enterprises Mascot Video Media Vista Film & Audio Distributors Panorama Audio Visual Systems S.A. Pissanos International Star Video Media assets v t e RTL Group RTL Deutschland TV RTL VOX RTL Zwei[a] VOXup Nitro RTL Up Super RTL Toggolino Toggo RTL Super Toggo Plus n-tv RTL Crime RTL Living RTL Passion GEO Television Radio RTL Radio 104.6 RTL Antenne Bayern[b] Antenne Niedersachsen[c] Radio Hamburg[d] Radio NRW[e] 105'5 Spreeradio Radio 21[f] Radio Regenbogen[g] BigFM[h] Hitradio RTL Sachsen[i] Radio Brocken (50%) 89.0 RTL Antenne Thüringen (15%) Radio Ton (2%) Rock Antenne[b] Sachsen Funkpaket (31.9%) Radio Dresden Radio Leipzig Radio Chemnitz Radio Lausitz Radio Zwickau Radio Erzgebirge Vogtland Radio Oldie 95 (4.78%) Radio Top 40 (15%) RTL Publishing Brigitte Capital GEO Stern Groupe M6 (48.6%) TV M6 W9 6ter Paris Première Téva Série Club[j] M6 Music Gulli Tiji Canal J MCM Top RFM TV Radio RTL RTL2 Fun Radio Catchup and Video on Demand M6+ International Gulli Girl Tiji (Russia) Gulli Africa Gulli Bil Arabi MCM Pop M6 International RTL Luxembourg TV RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg RTL Zwee Radio RTL Radio RTL Today Radio RTL LX RTL Gold Catchup RTL Play RTL Magyarország TV RTL RTL Kettő RTL Három RTL Otthon RTL Gold Cool Film+ Sorozat+ Moziklub Sorozatklub Kölyökklub Muzsika TV Catchup and Video on Demand RTL+ Atresmedia (18.65%) TV Antena 3 laSexta Neox Nova Mega Atreseries Radio Onda Cero Europa FM Melodia FM Catchup Atresplayer Fremantle United Kingdom Dancing Ledge Euston Films Castlefield Hare and Tortoise Thames Talkback Naked Full Fat TV Label 1 Man Alive Wild Blue Media Ireland Element Pictures France Kwai Germany Grundy UFA UFA GmbH UFA Fiction UFA Show & Factual Teamworx Phoenix Film We Are Era Finland Grillifilms Moskito Television Production House Finland Sweden Strix Baluba Italy Lux Vide The Apartment Wildside Picomedia Denmark Miso Film Blu Productions Strong Productions Norway One Big Happy Family Rakett TV Monster Playroom Novemberfilm Strix Australia Fremantle Australia Eureka Productions United States Original Productions Random House Studio Eureka USA The Immigrant Fabel Netherlands Blue Circle Fiction Valley No Pictures Please Israel Abot Hameiri ^ joint venture with Leonine Holding, The Walt Disney Company, Bauer Media Group and Hubert Burda Media. ^ a b joint venture with Amperwelle Studio München Programmanbietergesellschaft, Axel Springer AG, Burda, Studio Gong, m.b.t. Mediengesellschaft der bayerischen Tageszeitungen für Kabelkommunikation, Medienpool and Radio Bavaria Rundfunkprogrammgesellschaft. ^ joint venture with Verlagsgesellschaft Madsack, Studio Gong Niedersachsen and Brune-Rieck-Beteiligungs. ^ joint venture with Axel Springer, Heinrich Bauer Verlag, Lühmanndruck Harburger Zeitungsgesellschaft and Morgenpost Verlag. ^ joint venture with Pressefunk Nordrhein-Westfalen and Westdeutscher Rundfunk. ^ joint venture with Funk & Fernsehen Nordwestdeutschland, Antenne Niedersachen and Niedersachsen Radio. ^ joint venture with Mediengruppe Dr. Haas. ^ joint venture with Rheinland-Pfälzische Rundfunk. ^ joint venture with Broadcast Sachsen. ^ joint venture with TF1 Group. Penguin Random House USA Knopf Doubleday Knopf Doubleday Everyman's Library (US) Pantheon Schocken Vintage Random House Ballantine Bantam Boom! Studios Dell Del Rey Dial Modern Library Spectra Villard Crown Broadway Harmony Hogarth Rodale Three Rivers Ten Speed Watson-Guptill Children's Beginner Books Golden Penguin Adult Avery Dutton Penguin Putnam Riverhead Sentinel TarcherPerigee Viking Berkley Publishing Group Ace Berkley New American Library Jove Plume Roc Penguin Young Readers Dial Young Readers Dutton Children's Firebird Putnam Grosset & Dunlap Philomel Price Stern Sloan Puffin Warne Information Books on Tape Living Language Playaway The Princeton Review UK Ebury BBC Books Ebury Rider Virgin Books (90%) W. H. Allen Penguin General Hamish Hamilton Penguin Books Viking Penguin Press Pelican Penguin Classics PRH Children Ladybird Puffin Other Cornerstone Del Rey Hutchinson Heinemann #MerkyBooks Random House Michael Joseph Transworld Bantam Doubleday Associated publishers Andersen Everyman's Library Vintage Publishing The Bodley Head Chatto & Windus Harvill Secker Jonathan Cape Vintage Canada Doubleday Canada McClelland & Stewart Douglas Gibson Books Tundra Books New Canadian Library Germany Blanvalet cbj Goldmann Heyne Luchterhand Manesse Prestel Spain Alfaguara Bruguera Ediciones B Santillana Other Companhia das Letras (70%) Dorling Kindersley Alpha PRH Publisher Services Text Publishing Other assets Alliant International University Arvato Brockhaus Arvato Entertainment (Sonopress) BMG Rights Management Der Spiegel (25%) Relias Learning Manager Magazin (24.9%) Sächsische Zeitung (60%) Category

v t e Virgin Group Assets Lifestyle Active Balloon Flights Experience Days Red Voucher Wines Travel / transport Atlantic Holidays Galactic Hotels Chicago Las Vegas Limited Edition Natirar Necker Roof Gardens Ulusaba Virgin Australia Holdings Australia Regional Oceanic Voyages Music Megastores Virgin Music Group Caroline Records Records V2 Records Money UK Australia Media Connect Virgin Fibra Virgin Media O2 Virgin Media UK O2 UK Virgin Media Ireland Television Virgin Mobile Chile Ireland Kuwait Poland Saudi Arabia Plus Radio UK Canada Halifax Montreal Toronto Kitchener London Windsor Winnipeg Edmonton Calgary Vancouver Victoria Italy Dubai Turkey Lebanon Romania Former America Books Brides Cars Care Charter Cinemas Comics Connect Airways Flybe Tigerair Australia Digital Digital Help Drinks Cola Vodka Electronics Virgin EMI Energy Express Festival (Australia) Festival (England) Festival (North America) Films Games Gaming Green Fund Health Bank Heaven Hyperloop Interactive Limobike Limousines Little Red Megastores (UK) Media Television (UK) Mobile (Australia) Mobile (France) Mobile (India) Mobile (South Africa) Mobile (UK) Mobile (USA) Money (South Africa) Money (US) Virgin Music Nigeria Orbit Plane Handling Play Produced Radio Free Northern Rock Oüi FM Racing (Electric) Racing (F1) Radio (Jakarta) Radio (Jordan) Radio (Kelowna) Radio (Ottawa) Radio (UK) Classic Groove Xtreme Virgin Radio France Samoa Sun Trainline Trains CrossCountry East Coast ExpressCoach Virgin Trains International Open Access USA West Coast Travel City Direct Vacations V Australia Vie Virgin.net People Richard Branson Stephen Clarke-Willson Nik Powell Steve Ridgway Other "Dirty tricks" campaign Losing My Virginity Timeline of Richard Branson's business ventures Unite (charity) Virgin Earth Challenge Category Commons

Authority control databases International VIAF National United States Other Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Virgin Books](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Books) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Books?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.