- W.H. Allen1880 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
Publisher · founded 1835 · London
W.H. Allen
W. H. Allen & Co. was a London publisher founded in 1835 by William Houghton Allen, later home of Target's Doctor Who novelisations, which Virgin absorbed and renamed Virgin Publishing in 1991.
- Editions tracked
- 86
- First editions
- 25
- Books
- 86
- Years
- 1880 to 1989
About W.H. Allen
W. H. Allen & Co. was a London bookselling and publishing house founded in 1835 by William Houghton Allen, which became part of Virgin in the late 1980s and gave way to Virgin Publishing in 1991.
The firm grew out of a series of partnerships dating from 1818, among them Parbury, Allen and Co. Its early list concentrated on works about the British colonies, and it traded from Leadenhall Street before moving to Waterloo Place.
In the twentieth century W. H. Allen ran the paperback line Target Books; Target, best known for its novelisations of Doctor Who, was published by W. H. Allen's paperback division from the mid-1970s until 1990. By 1975 the company belonged to the entertainment group Howard & Wyndham. In 1977 it bought Warner Communications' publishing division, but both acquired divisions had closed by 1979.
Virgin Books acquired W. H. Allen between 1986 and 1987 and renamed the company Virgin Publishing Ltd in 1991. Random House UK bought 90 per cent of Virgin Books in 2007, and since 2009 Virgin has been an imprint of Ebury Publishing, then part of the Random House Group.
How to spot a W.H. Allen first edition
We have not yet written the guide to W.H. Allen's first-edition conventions. Until we do, check each book's own page: we list its points where we know them. Know how W.H. Allen marked its firsts? Tell us.
AuthorsDean Koontz (8)Edward Elmer Smith (4)Charles Bukowski (3)Jackie Collins (3)Richard Laymon (3)Janet Frame (2)Elmore Leonard (2)Anaïs Nin (2)Alan Sillitoe (2)Jacqueline Susann (2)
SeriesLensman seriesRealist TrilogyThe Six Million Dollar Man
Books
Published by W.H. Allen
- 1st W.H. Allen1905 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- 1st W.H. Allen1911 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- W.H. Allen1929 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- W.H. Allen1944 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- 1st W.H. Allen1947 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- W.H. Allen1948 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- W.H. Allen1960 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- W.H. Allen1960 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- W.H. Allen1961 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- W.H. Allen1962 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- W.H. Allen1964 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
- W.H. Allen1966 Hardback Not yet valued Log in to want this
Frequently asked questions
How do I identify a W.H. Allen first edition?
Check the title page and the copyright page: a W.H. Allen first edition gives the first date of publication with no later impression or edition stated. Each book's page here lists its own points.
How many W.H. Allen books does MyVolumes track?
We track 86 editions published by W.H. Allen, 25 of them first editions, across 86 books.
Where these facts come from
- W. H. Allen & Co., Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- W. H. Allen & Co. (Q28803186), Wikidata (wikidata.org)
- Target Books, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 17 October 2026.