Candlewick Press reports that Sharon Hancock, who retired in 2014 as executive director of school and library marketing, died on April 17.
Hancock joined Candlewick in 2004 as director of school and library marketing. She also worked in marketing at Penguin, Henry Holt, and Hyperion, among other houses. Before she moved into publishing, Hancock was a bookseller at the now closed Eeyore’s Books for Children in New York City.
Hancock loved books and was a tireless reader of children’s and adult titles, always excited to talk about books she was reading or had heard about. She was also known for her smile, her sharp sense of humor, and her style—her signature black glasses and classic clothing.
When Hancock's retirement was announced by PW in early 2015, authors Meg Medina and Shannon Hale responded to the news by calling her “a true gem” and saying “To know her is to love & admire her.” Agent Steven Malk called her “one of the best ever.”
Candlewick president and publisher Karen Lotz, who is also managing director of the Walker Books Group, described Hancock as “one of the most voracious and delightfully passionate readers I've ever met. [She] was a gift in my life for more than 15 years as a direct colleague, after working first at Penguin together and then at Candlewick, and this was encompassed by nearly 25 years of buddying up and swapping views. She was the person who really put the Candlewick list on the map with the library community, acting as a true advocate and partner to all the editors and designers, and for that we will be forever in her debt. Saying goodbye to Sharon is unbearably difficult; she will be in our hearts always."
A memorial will be announced in the coming weeks.
