Claudio López de Lamadrid, publisher of Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial and its Literatura Random House imprint, died January 11. De Lamadrid, who was 58, suffered a massive stroke in his office in Barcelona.
De Lamadrid began his publishing career in Paris, eventually editing Nobel Laureates Gabriel Garcia Marquez and J. M. Coetze. His list included such acclaimed authors as Joan Didion, Philip Roth, David Foster Wallace and Colson Whitehead. Throughout his career he championed new voices from Spain, such as Francisco Casavella, Javier Calvo, and Laura Fernandez. Latin American authors he pushed included Samantha Schweblin, Aberto Fuguet, Pola Oloixrara, and Rafael Gumuejo.
He oversaw PRHGE imprints in Spain and Latin America, setting and unifying Grupo’s publishing strategies, criteria, and planning across PRH territories, and was renowned in the Spanish literary and international book publishing community. He is survived by his life partner Angeles, his children, and other family members.
PRHGE CEO Nuria Cabuti called de Lamadrid “one of the most important editors of our time.” She said his death "leaves a huge void in our lives…he invariably had a kind word to say and a friendly smile to share, and he always displayed remarkable levels of complicity, sagacity and empathy. I know that all of you who had the chance to work with him came to revere him.”
