Sonny Mehta, editor in chief at Knopf, has died

You may not have known Sonny Mehta by name, but you certainly knew his work.

Mehta, as editor in chief at Knopf, published books by such authors as John le Carré, Toni Morrison, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jhumpa Lahiri, Pope John Paul II, and Patti Smith.

But Mehta, who died Monday, much preferred to let writers do the talking, reports NPR.

Two of those authors, James Ellroy and Robert Caro, described what a huge role he played in their careers for NPR’s benefit, while another, Gayle Feldman, shares her appreciation for him with the Bookseller.

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