The literary world is mourning the loss of Georges Borchardt, the titan of publishing who introduced English-speaking audiences to some of the 20th century’s greatest thinkers, per pen.org. Borchardt died on Sunday in Manhattan at the age of 97, leaving behind a legacy that reshaped the transatlantic literary landscape.
Born in Berlin and raised in Paris, Borchardt survived the Second World War in hiding before emigrating to the United States in 1947. Despite arriving with no English, he rose from a New York University instructor to become one of the most influential agents in history. In 1967, he founded Georges Borchardt Inc. with his wife, Anne, eventually representing five Nobel laureates and eight Pulitzer Prize winners.
Borchardt was a tireless champion of translated works, famously securing American publishers for Elie Wiesel’s Night and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. His eclectic stable of authors included literary Icons like Jean-Paul Sartre, Marguerite Duras, and Tennessee Williams as well as modern masters including Ian McEwan, Tracy Kidder, and Anne Applebaum. Historical figures like French President Charles de Gaulle were also on his radar.
Beyond his commercial success, Borchardt was a dedicated advocate for the writing community, serving as a Board Trustee and Treasurer for PEN America during the 1980s. Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, interim co-CEO of PEN America, described him as a “giant” whose persistence gifted readers 60 years of “astonishing works.”
Even in his final weeks, Borchardt remained active at his Manhattan agency, mentoring staff and negotiating deals.
He is survived by his wife, Anne, his daughter Valerie, who serves as the agency’s foreign rights director, and two granddaughters.
