Longtime newspaperman Paul Colford, 71, died August 26 after heart complications impacted by his fifteen-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. A reporter for over 30 years, Colford covered the publishing business for two decades, first for Newsday and then for the NY Daily News (after which he served as vp of media relations for the AP). He was a published author of two books as well.
Obits
Star Lawrence Dies at 82
Former longtime Norton editor-in-chief Starling Lawrence died on August 21 at New York-Presbyterian Hospital after a short illness, at age 82. He remained editor-at-large at Norton until his death — most recently working on books by David Ignatius, Michael Lewis, and David McCloskey — after first joining the publisher in late 1969 as an assistant to Evan Thomas. Lawrence became editor-in-chief in 1993 and vice-chairman in 2000. Company chair and president Julia Reidhead said, “It is impossible to overstate the effect Star Lawrence has had on Norton. His taste was as confident and true as his spirit, and he transformed […]
Obituary: Sheila Hodgson
Sheila Hodgson, 66, senior editor for Harlequin Mills & Boon, died on August 6 after a short illness. The publisher writes: “Throughout her 31 years on the team, Sheila had been an insightful expert and champion of the romance publishing industry and an exceptional editor. She will be greatly missed by her colleagues and authors with whom she shared her warmth, humour and constant support. We offer our deepest condolences to Sheila’s husband and family, and wide network of colleagues and friends.”
Obituary: Sallie Bingham
Author Sallie Bingham, 88, died on Wednesday of a stroke. She wrote plays, novels, short stories, and nonfiction. Her memoir Passion & Prejudice accused her family, a powerful Louisville newspaper dynasty, of misogyny and racism. He most recent book is Little Brother (Sarabande), about the life and early death of her younger brother.
Obituary: Ann Harris
Editor Ann Harris, 99, died on June 1 at home in Manhattan. She started in publishing in 1952 and worked at Harper & Row and Bantam before retiring. She edited classics including William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist, Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds, and Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes.
Obituary: Sophie Stabile
Lagardere chief financial officer Sophie Stabile, 55, has died. The company expressed “their deep sadness” at her passing and “offer their condolences to her family and loved ones.” CEO Arnaud Lagardère said in a statement: “Having joined Lagardère in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, Sophie Stabile did remarkable work to help the Group bounce back. She also knew how to rally her teams around ambitious projects to optimize financial and operational performance. For several years, she fought courageously against her illness with the same energy. My thoughts and those of the Group’s employees are with her family and loved […]