Frances Foster ( née Starbuck, June 3, 1931 – June 8, 2014) was a children's books editor.
Frances Foster, née Frances Starbuck, was born on June 3, 1931. [1] Her father was a banker and her mother an artist. [2] Born in Oakland, California, Foster and her family moved to Berkeley after her parents opened a weaving studio, where she spent most of her childhood. [2] Foster studied at Denison University, where she received a bachelor's degree in English literature in 1953. [1] [3]
After she finished studying, Foster spent one year working in Rome. She then returned to the United States in search of a job in the book publishing industry. She went to Alice Dalgliesh's office and asked her for a job, which Dalgliesh offered, as her previous assistant was going on maternity leave. [2] After some time working with Dalgliesh, Foster left to become a freelance editor at Knopf while raising her two children. [3] During her time working for Knopf, Foster served as the editor of several notable authors, such as Leo Lionni and Roald Dahl. [4]
In 1995, Foster was hired by the publishing company Farrar, Straus and Giroux to head a new imprint under her name, Frances Foster Books. [5] The imprint would publish around a dozen new children's books every year, [1] with titles by authors such as Peter Sís and Louis Sachar. [3]
Foster retired from her work as editor in 2013 due to health issues. [4]
Foster married her husband in 1956, with whom she had two children. [1] Foster was cousin to writer and poet Elizabeth Coatsworth, and her grandmother's brother was Elbert Hubbard, an artist who founded the Roycroft Press. [2]
Foster died on June 8, 2014, at the age of 83. According to her daughter, it was due to a stroke she suffered in 2012. [1]
Frances Foster ( née Starbuck, June 3, 1931 – June 8, 2014) was a children's books editor.
Frances Foster, née Frances Starbuck, was born on June 3, 1931. [1] Her father was a banker and her mother an artist. [2] Born in Oakland, California, Foster and her family moved to Berkeley after her parents opened a weaving studio, where she spent most of her childhood. [2] Foster studied at Denison University, where she received a bachelor's degree in English literature in 1953. [1] [3]
After she finished studying, Foster spent one year working in Rome. She then returned to the United States in search of a job in the book publishing industry. She went to Alice Dalgliesh's office and asked her for a job, which Dalgliesh offered, as her previous assistant was going on maternity leave. [2] After some time working with Dalgliesh, Foster left to become a freelance editor at Knopf while raising her two children. [3] During her time working for Knopf, Foster served as the editor of several notable authors, such as Leo Lionni and Roald Dahl. [4]
In 1995, Foster was hired by the publishing company Farrar, Straus and Giroux to head a new imprint under her name, Frances Foster Books. [5] The imprint would publish around a dozen new children's books every year, [1] with titles by authors such as Peter Sís and Louis Sachar. [3]
Foster retired from her work as editor in 2013 due to health issues. [4]
Foster married her husband in 1956, with whom she had two children. [1] Foster was cousin to writer and poet Elizabeth Coatsworth, and her grandmother's brother was Elbert Hubbard, an artist who founded the Roycroft Press. [2]
Foster died on June 8, 2014, at the age of 83. According to her daughter, it was due to a stroke she suffered in 2012. [1]