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| Charlie Conrad | |
Charlie Conrad, an editor with wide-ranging taste and an eye for backlist, died on November 21 from complications of ALS. He was 61.
As remembered by colleagues at Penguin Random House, he "began his decades-long editorial career at NAL and Warner Books, when mass market publishing was flourishing. A firm believer in the power of backlist, he skillfully landed paperback rights to such high-profile juggernauts as The Hot Zone, Under the Tuscan Sun and Into the Wild, but also cleverly reissued out-of-print titles like Catch Me if You Can before they became blockbusters. Even today, his knack for spotting backlist bestsellers with multiple lives remains relevant. He edited The Last Duel, a recent major motion picture, and The Terminal Spy, the basis for a just-announced HBO series. Conrad had a keen and wide-ranging editorial eye for acquisitions, whether it was an unlikely bestseller such as Dr. Mütter's Marvels or spotting an acclaimed novel such as The Forgiven (also headed for the big screen)."
During his career, he worked at Doubleday, Broadway, Crown and Penguin.
A memorial service will be held in the spring of 2022. Donations in Conrad's memory can be made to the scholarship established in his name through the Montclair Scholarship Fund.