When was Vintage Books founded and by whom?
Vintage Books was founded in 1954 by Alfred A. Knopf as a trade paperback publishing imprint. Knopf established it to bring serious literary works to readers at an accessible price point.
Questions about Vintage Books
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who owns Vintage Books today?
Vintage Books is an imprint of Penguin Random House. Random House acquired it in April 1960, and subsequent mergers eventually placed it within the Penguin Random House group.
What is Vintage Books UK and how is it related to the American imprint?
Vintage UK is a British division established in 1990. After Random House merged with Penguin, Vintage UK was transferred to Penguin UK, making it a separate corporate entity from the American Vintage imprint while sharing the same name.
What sub-imprints does Vintage Books oversee?
Vintage oversees Bodley Head, Jonathan Cape, Chatto and Windus, Harvill Secker, Hogarth Press, Square Peg, and Yellow Jersey. Each sub-imprint operates under the Vintage division while maintaining its own identity.
How do you identify a Vintage Books first edition?
Vintage Books first editions have the words "First Edition" printed on the edition notice above the copyright notice, along with a "1". That number appears in every subsequent edition as well, allowing readers to identify the specific printing.
What notable authors are published by Vintage Books?
Vintage's catalog includes Albert Camus, Toni Morrison, Cormac McCarthy, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Vladimir Nabokov, Haruki Murakami, Philip Roth, Joan Didion, Ralph Ellison, William Faulkner, and Dashiell Hammett, among many others.