Mildred Hird, one of the first publishing executives to specialize in the sale of foreign rights of American books, died on November 2 at her home in New York City. She was 98.
Hird was a longtime vice president at Bantam Books, retiring in 1987. After leaving Bantam, she founded her own agency, Mildred Hird, Inc., which also focused on the sale of foreign rights.
Among Hird's most notable deals was for Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club. Her role in the publication of the worldwide bestseller was noted in a PW story in 1989.
