Obits

John Jakes, 90, bestselling author of The Kent Family Chronicles and the North and South trilogy, died on Saturday at a hospice facility in Sarasota, FL. Jakes wrote around 60 novels across many genres, but saw the biggest sales for his historical fictions, some of which sold in the millions.

Former Congresswoman and longtime president and CEO of the AAP Patricia Schroeder, 82, died in Florida of complications from a stroke. The NYT calls her “a trailblazing feminist legislator who helped redefine the role of women in American politics and used her wit to combat egregious sexism in Congress.” Current AAP ceo Maria Pallante comments: “As many will write, Pat Schroeder was a principled and pioneering Member of Congress, where she used her ferocious legal chops, wit, and skill to advance issues that were often called women’s issues but were really about families or fighter pilots.  The American publishing community […]

Author and illustrator of the Olivia series of picture books Ian Falconer, 63, died on Tuesday in Rowayton, CT after a short illness. Olivia won a Caldecott Medal in 2001 and Falconer published seven more books in the series. He also illustrated more than 30 New Yorker covers.

Children’s book author and illustrator Amy Schwartz died suddenly the weekend of February 25. She had a hand in more than 50 children’s books across many imprints, including Charlotte Zolotow Award winner What James Likes Best and New York Times Best Book of the Year Bea and Mr. Jones. Mary Cash, vp and editor in chief at Holiday House said, “I can’t think of anyone whom I think understood and portrayed the day-to-day routines of families with young children with more intelligence and joy. Amy was an acute observer of all the tiny details that together make up a child’s life. Her wonderful books […]

Larry Adamo, 82, who worked for Abrams as a sales rep in the NYC area, died on February 19. The publisher writes: “Larry was beloved and respected for his wit, wisdom, and most of all his passion for our books. He loved illustrated books and art — he was a lifelong painter — and happily passed on his knowledge to subsequent generations of colleagues in sales and other departments at Abrams.”

Renowned editor and publisher John “Jack” Macrae III  has died.  He worked at Henry Holt for 35 years, where he published authors including two-time Booker winner Hilary Mantel and ran an eponymous imprint. Prior to that, he was publisher from 1968 to 1981 at “the family business,” E.P. Dutton, lead for nearly 100 years by Macraes (his grandfather and then his father) following the passing of Dutton himself. Dutton publisher Christine Ball and editor in chief John Parsley, who both worked at Holt in the early 2000s when Macrae ran his imprint there, said “Jack inspired all of us to […]