Sad news from the U.K.: Jenny Simpson, who, as Jenny Bell, was a longtime editor of the Bookseller magazine, died on Tuesday, the Bookseller reported. She had been ill with cancer.
She joined the Bookseller in 1981 as bookselling editor, then became features editor and was deputy editor from 1996 until 2004.
Praising her "wisdom and friendship," Nicholas Clee, former editor of the Bookseller, commented: "Jenny had the ability, to a higher degree than anyone I have ever known, of analysing any plan, working out its strengths and weaknesses, and seeing it through to a conclusion. You wanted her on your side."
Jenny and I had a strikingly parallel career at our country's respective book trade journals, both starting in 1981 and ending a year apart. We first met at the Las Vegas ABA show in 1990 and hit it off immediately.
Over the years, we had occasional dinners in London or New York, and we relied on each other to understand bookselling and the major changes in bookselling in our respective countries. She asked me to write regular features on the bookselling scene in the U.S., and I happily obliged.
For a time, we had the same job title--bookselling editor--and figured that we were probably the only two people in the world with that title. We also had a running joke: Jenny called herself "the John Mutter of the U.K." and I called myself "the Jenny Bell of the U.S."
She was always thoughtful, considerate, entertaining, full of curiosity and a great reporter and editor. We'll miss the Jenny Bell of the U.K. --John Mutter
