VIRAGO COLLECTION TRACKER

For anyone coming across this spreadsheet for the first time: this is a complete list based on the list in christiguc's WikiThing. Anyone can save a copy in Google Docs, or export to Excel, and use the the first column to keep track of those you own or are wishing for.

IMPORTANT:
If you save a copy of this spreadsheet for your personal use, be sure to check this master spreadsheet from time to time. We try to keep it current with new releases and you'll want to add those new items to your own spreadsheet.

This Virago Collection Tracker has also been used to track progress on a couple of "group projects":
- Column F: Transcribing back cover descriptions into the "LibraryThing Members' Description" field on each book's main page. See the Viragos Described thread for more info.
- Column G: Entering related movie into LT common knowledge

Some group members have the ability to edit the master spreadsheet, for purposes of tracking progress on the above group projects. If you require the editor access you need only supply your email address; please leave a comment on my profile.

You beat me to it lindsacl! It occurred to me this afternoon, that I should have mentioned this was christiguc's VMC list but could be used as a template. You get 2 gold stars today!!

christiguc -could I add the latest VMC's to your list :-

532 West with the Night Beryl Markham
533 An Angel at my Table Janet Frame
534 Diary of Rachel Morley (to be printed 06/08)
535 Hungry Hill Daphne Du Maurier

Oh--please do! Thank you, mrspenny!

#4 - I have received a copy of the recent re-release of "The Diary of Helena Morley" translated by Elizabeth Bishop. It is VMC no 534.

mrspenny, christiguc added 532-535 to the tracker as described in #4. Are you saying the title of #534 should read "Helen," not "Rachel"? What about the author?

Well ... perhaps I should allow you to make the necessary changes once I've given you the ability to do so :-)

yes - lindsacl - the title is The Diary of "Helena Morley" -translated from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Bishop. According to the first page Helena Morley was the pseudonym of "Senhora Augusto Mario Caldiera Brant (1880-1970) who was born in Brazil to a British father and a Brazilian mother. Her girlhood diaries were first published un 1942 under the pseudonym Helena Morley".

A Note about our Collection Tracker
GoogleDocs allows you to sort the spreadsheet by clicking on the column you wish to use for the sort. You can also sort via the "Sort" menu. Unfortunately, because I added 4 rows of information above the actual list, when you sort these 4 rows get interspersed with the list of books. Should this happen to you, just click on the "Undo" button in the upper left corner, under the "File" menu.

I will give some thought as to how to restructure the spreadsheet to correct this situation.

I found a fix for the sorting problem mentioned in #9. I have "frozen" the first 5 rows as a header area. Now when you sort, it will leave the headers intact. Note that the "frozen" rows can be changed by any of us ... so please be careful!

And don't worry ... if it all goes hopelessly wrong we can revert to an earlier version.

I just changed the color of the header rows in the spreadsheet from dark blue, to green ... so now even our collection tracker has a lovely green spine!

OK, I admit it, I'm obsessing on this thing.

You're too cute, Miss Laura!

* blush *

Oh it is lovely Laura. I do not think I have thanked you yet for your technical expertise and great contribution to all of us. Thank you. . . and I love the green!

I have almost no experience with Excel, but when I click on the author column and do a sort, it's sorting by first names. I don't suppose that can be fixed without re-entering all the authors LNF?
I have two Virago editions, not VMC's, that I have added to my own version of this spreadsheet. Is the tracker (for common use) limited to the VMC's only?

Hi there LW3. Now that you've found the collection tracker, I know you are truly hooked on VMCs !! So, to answer your questions:
- The authors would have to be re-entered in order to sort LNF.
- The tracker was designed to track just VMCs. I think it was fabrile-heart who had the initial list, which christiguc transcribed into WikiThing, and I later copied into a spreadsheet. We could always expand it if group members wanted to track the other Virago series.

You may find this Excel tip helpful: select the row containing your column headings and then choose Data - Filter - Autofilter from the pulldown menus. You'll then be able to filter a column to see only the rows matching your filter. This is a great way to get a quick look at all books by a specific author, or to find all the books you've marked "wish". In the GoogleDocs spreadsheet, I creatd a separate tab with a table that performs the same function.

Thank you for calling Virago Collection Tracker tech support :-)

Thanks, Laura. (You forgot to say "and have a nice day"!)

I also didn't ask, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Have a nice day ....

Just noticed that the spreadsheet lists Anne Bronte as author of Wuthering Heights (No. 358). Should be Emily.

Whoops! I'm sure that was a cut-and-paste error as I was converting from another data source to this one. Good catch ... it's been corrected.

Please note there have been some changes to the series order in the master spreadsheet.

- #528 has been added
- There are in fact two books numbered 398, and 397 has been changed.
- We are also debating the entries at the end, with no series number ... these may not in fact be VMCs.

If you previously saved a copy of this spreadsheet to track your personal collection, you will need to update these entries.

Thanks to mrspenny for the corrections (the discussion of these changes can be found on the Viragos Described thread).

Thank you for alerting us all and to all those who have added information.

I have a query re Ruffian on the Stairs by Nina Bawden. My copy has 'VMC' printed on the spine below the apple logo and 'VIRAGO MODERN CLASSICS' printed on the back cover above the box with ISBN info etc. But updated spreadsheet says it is not a VMC.

I have just been on the Virago Press website and they have Ruffian on the Stair listed as a VMC (published 2006).

Right. The Virago webpage says Ruffian on the Stair, Wayward Girls and Wicked Women and Some Kind of Black are VMCs.

OK, the master sheet now shows the 3 named in #25 as VMCs with two others in question.

#24, 25 & 26 - my copy of Ruffian on the Stair was published in 2001 and is definitely not marked as a VMC..similarly with Wayward Girls and Wicked Women.

Some Kind of Black was published in 1997 and was not listed as a VMC. According to the original list all numbers were allocated up until 2002. Later emails from Virago in 2003 and 2007 supplied the later allocated numbers in the VMC up to 535. Some time between 2003 and 2007, I believe there was a changeover in Commissioning editor at Virago so the confusion so that may be why the later edition of Ruffian is listed as a VMC.

It could be an issue that is never resolved and it looks like it is up to the individual bookowner as to whether you want to regard it as a classic or not.

Hi there! Loving the spreadsheet it's really helpful. I had an old list from virago and it's getting in a mess now so I'm pleased to start afresh keeping track.

Anyway I just wanted to point out that #513 and #514 are by Alice Thomas Ellis not Angela Carter :)

and #528 is Vanishing Cornwall I think not Vanishing Coast.

Hi charlottestar, glad you are finding the spreadsheet useful.

mrspenny, as you are our Oracle of Virago, could you please double-check your vast references regarding #513, 514, and 528 ?

#29 - VMC 513 - The Sin Eater - Alice Thomas Ellis - This edition was commissioned but does not have the relevant number recorded in the book;

VMC - 514 - The Summerhouse Trilogy - Alice Thomas Ellis -Noted in the edition;

VMC 528 - Vanishing Cornwall - Daphne Du Maurier. -
"VMC 528 is an unusual one, as it's an illustrated hardback. It's Vanishing Cornwall by Daphne du Maurier and it was published in May 2007". (Confirmatory email in response to an inquiry to the Virago commissioning editor).

I have also been advised the next VMC's to be released in 2009 are:
No Fond Return of Love by Barbara Pym VMC 536 -released in UK last week;
The Yellow Wallpaper and Selected Writings Charlotte Perkins Gilman VMC 537 - not yet released.

Hope that helps.

Thank you mrspenny! You are indeed a font of information. Thanks to charlottestar for identifying the errors, too! I have updated the master spreadsheet:
- corrected author for #s 513, 514
- corrected title for #528
- added #s 536, 537

Those who have saved their own copy of the spreadsheet can copy/paste these items into their copy.

lindsacl - for those Viragoites who are not aware - The Yellow Wallpaper has been issued as an original VMC in 1983 - the new edition including selected writings is the new "commissioned" edition.

>32 mrspenny:: that's right, mrspenny, there is another entry in our spreadsheet for the earlier edition.

lindsacl - it was also re-issued in a later VMC edition in 1998.

I have just entered descriptions for several VMC's - It is so hot here today that it is impossible to be outdoors without sun damage so I thought I would do some homework for the spreadsheet:-))

You're wonderful, mrspenny!

Patricia, what would we do without you??
:-))

#36: some of us would have far fewer Viragos, not to mention pertinent information. ;)

tiffin,

Are you sure you don't mean impertinent information? ;-)

oh no, not our mrspenny...impertinent? Heavens!

I hope sometimes pertinent - always impertinent:-))

* bump *
Posting for the benefit of newer members. As stated at the top of the thread, the Virago Collection Tracker is a master spreadsheet of all VMCs.

- Anyone can click on the link & save a copy to track their own collection
- Some members have "edit" access to the master spreadsheet to help track our "Viragos Described" project, where we transcribe back cover descriptions into the "LibraryThing Members' Description" field on each book's main page. The spreadsheet has a column indicating which books have been transcribed. The Viragos Described, Part II thread is where members post updates as they enter descriptions.

Anyone who would like editor access need only supply your email address; please leave a comment on my profile.

* bump *
Several new VMCs have been published recently, and Trish (mrspenny) has been doing a fabulous job keeping the Virago Collection Tracker spreadsheet up-to-date. If any of you have ever saved a copy for your own use, you will want to compare it with the master list and copy additions to the master over to your own spreadsheet.

Thank you Laura for alerting us .... and Trish, thank you for all your vigilance and updating.

So glad to find this. Was hoping there's be something like it connected with this group. Thank you!

Reminds me that I reeaaaaaally need to update my personal version of the tracker.

Thank you *so* much for this - so few of the VMCs seem to still be in print and their own site is fairly useful - this is a great resource!

I have just added The River by Rumer Godden to the VMC Tracker as VMC No 565. Unfortunately, Virago Press has chosen not to include its allotted number in the book. (A constant source of frustration for obsessive collectors :(( ). It is only described as a Virago Modern Classic.
However, Virago has confirmed that the sequential numbers for Rumer Godden's forthcoming releases are 565, 566, 567. If this is not the case, the tracker will have to be amended at a later date.
The River is beautifully presented as a hardcover edition.

>47 mrspenny:: Trish, thank you so much for keeping our list up-to-date!

Indeed - it's a wonderful resource!

>48 lauralkeet: - Laura - Glad to do the updating. I hope to get back to some serious Virago reading soon. Only one essay away from completion!!

>49 kaggsy: - I agree kaggsy - it is an excellent resource. Collectively we have a vast amount of information about our beloved VMCs.