Kathryn Jewitt, founding member of children's publisher Townhouse, died March 22. She was 55. The Bookseller reported that Jewitt "held a degree in English Literature from Durham and a postgraduate Printing and Publishing Diploma from the London College of Printing, and rose to become a skilled and influential editorial director, working for a number of the U.K.'s most successful children's book packagers and mass-market publishers."
Townhouse praised her as "the heart and soul of Townhouse and we will miss her desperately. One word we have heard so many times from her colleagues is kind. She was the kindest soul you could ever meet."
Steve Richards, managing director of Dynamo, where Jewitt was managing editor for six years, commented: "Kath was a creative powerhouse with limitless energy, passion, understanding and ability, no matter the challenge. She was also a hugely positive influence on every person she worked with, whether staff or collaborator, and even on those days when others around her were struggling under the pressure, or generally feeling down, she had the ability to lift them up with her positive energy and compassion."
Etta Saunders, publisher at Parragon, who worked alongside Jewitt when she was editorial director from 2016 to 2018, recalled how she "achieved the almost impossible.... She managed the large editorial team, working with them on a vast list of titles covering many formats, from series fiction through to pre-school novelty titles, all at breakneck speed to mass-market deadlines, without compromising on creative standards (which were raised considerably under her direction) and she still remained very loved by the whole team. She was thoroughly respected by all for her calm demeanor and warm and witty personality."
Author Moira Butterfield, friend and collaborator for many years, added: "Overarching her entire career was her passion for children's reading--and that led her to do the best she could for every publication she worked on. Such breadth of work and experience, coupled with the kindest and most empathetic of natures, will be sorely missed by all of those in the book world who came into contact with her."