Sonny Mehta, the editor-in-chief of publishing house Alfred A Knopf and chairman of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group in New York, passed away at the age of 77.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik tweeted condolences. “He was one of the world’s best editors and an extremely civilized person,” Patnaik said.
Under Sonny, Knopf published six Nobel literature laureates, as The Indian Express pointed out, numerous Pulitzer Prize winners and Booker Prize winners. He began his career in publishing in 1965 when he joined Rupert Hart Davis in London.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also condoled his death. “Mehta would be fondly remembered by countless avid readers across the world. He endeared himself to many thanks to his erudite and knowledgable personality,” he tweeted.