Simon Master, who was deputy group chairman for Random House from 1989 to 2004, died January 16, the Bookseller reported. He was 70. Master twice served as president of the Publishers Association and was the inaugural chairman of the London Book Fair advisory board, a role he stepped down from in 2014.
"We are all in shock at the sad news of Simon's death and still cannot quite believe it; we all held him in great affection," said LBF director Jacks Thomas. "His contribution to the London Book Fair was immense and he continued to take a great interest after standing down as non-executive chairman of our advisory board. Our thoughts are with [his wife] Georgie and his family."
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Polish novelist and filmmaker Tadeusz Konwicki, "whose alternately grim, surreal and acidly ironic novels and films made him one of Poland's most important cultural figures," died January 7, the New York Times reported. He was 88. His books include A Minor Apocalypse and The Polish Complex.
