September 29, 2009 • Print This Post
The Brava Authors mourn the passing of Kate Duffy.
Kate was our friend, our mentor, our champion, and the founder of the Brava imprint at Kensington Publishing. She was wise and witty and wonderful. She loved writers and books. Our sympathies go out to her family and friends and the publishing industry as a whole for her loss. She will be sorely missed.
ALICE KATHERINE (“KATE”) DUFFY
Renowned romance genre editorKate Duffy (Alice Katherine Duffy) was instrumental in shaping the face and direction of the romance genre from the late seventies and the “romance revolution” of the early 1980s through today, when at any given time the authors she has worked with continue to populate the nation’s best seller lists.
The recipient of numerous honors from national and regional writers organizations, including the Romance Writers of America, she was the first recipient of that organization’s “Industry Award” in 1991. Recently, RT Book Reviews magazine announced her as the 2010 recipient of their annual Melinda Helfer Award, presented for outstanding support of and contributions to the genre.
Kate first published or worked with, some of the genre’s best known writers, including Jude Deveraux, Julie Garwood, Lori Foster, Heather Graham, Judith McNaught, Mary Janice Davidson, Jacqueline Frank and Mary Jo Putney.
Kate attended Notre Dame Academy, Trinity College, and George Washington University. She studied at Oxford University and returned to the U.K. to work at Paddington Press. Upon returning to the U.S. she became an editor at Popular Library. She later worked at Dell, Simon & Schuster, where she was the founding editor of Silhouette Books, moved on to Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books division, Harlequin Enterprises, where she founded the Worldwide Library imprint, and Kensington Publishing, where she established Brava Books. She is also remembered for the hugely successful Tapestry Books imprint at Pocket Books which began in the early 80s and continued for a number of years.
Born January 28, 1953 in Rochester, New York to Benedict James Duffy, Jr. and Alice (Boyle) Duffy, Kate lived in Rochester, New York, Hingham, Massachusetts, London, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and New York. She spent the bulk of her adult life living in Manhattan. She is survived by her mother, actress Alice Duffy, her sister NBC News producer Clare Duffy, her brother Benedict Duffy and his wife Amanda, her niece Rosalind, her nephews Alex and Elliot, and legions of writers, friends and colleagues who are grateful to have known her.
Kate died at home after a long illness with a variety of complications.
obituary courtesy of SBTB
Posted by Sylvia Day @ 11:39 am • Filed under: Kate Duffy
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As a reader, I’ve felt rather indebted to Ms. Duffy over the years for all the wonderful authors she’s guided and mentored who’ve gone on to write books I adored. One of the most notable things I knew of her is the respect she had from anyone who ever worked with her or knew her. She made an indelible impression on the romance industry, and her presence will be missed. Yet her spirit lives on. May it continue to inspire writers for a long time to come.
Prayers to her family and friends.
Thanks so much for posting this, Sylvia. I’m glad I had a chance to work with Kate, and sorry my relationship with her wasn’t longer. She was funny and witty and smart, and the biggest advocate of romance writers I know. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.
Thank you, Sylvia–the romance community has been richly blessed by Ms. Duffy, and we’ll definitely miss her.
Peace and Blessings for such a wonderful woman.
I had the pleasure of meeting Kate Duffy three years ago. I had “heard” about Kate from authors and also from seeing her name in some of my favorite romance novels. Kate was a pleasure to be around, was very supportive and encouraged me to continue with my dream of where I wanted my site to go in the future. We met a number of times at conferences. Kate even invited me to her office. I couldn’t believe I was sitting with the great Kate Duffy, in her environment. We sat and talked books for two hours that Friday evening. She was very indulgent with me, this crazed fan, who positively couldn’t believe her luck at being in her presence. Kate invited my sis to come along on that visit. My sis and Kate got along very well. Not many people in my “romance” world impress Nat but she always asked whether Kate was going 2 be at a conference and to say hello. Kate also had a special place in my heart because she signed Shelly Laurenston /G.A. Aiken to Kensington, an author that I knew would set the romance world on it’s ear I am going to miss Kate an awful lot but I will be thinking of her when I read a really good book, thinking to myself that kate would love this one.
All I can say is, I’m heart-broken. Only a year and a half after I found her, she’s gone. Godspeed, Kate.
very sad my condelonces to he r family and friends