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Literary Star Linda Asher Dies at 93
3 Oct
Summary
- Linda Asher, a fiction editor at The New Yorker, died at 93.
- She translated works by authors like Milan Kundera from French.
- Asher was honored with the Thornton Wilder Prize for Translation.
Linda Asher, a distinguished fiction editor at The New Yorker and a prominent translator, died on September 15th in Manhattan at the age of 93. During her 18 years at the magazine, she championed new literary talent, including introducing the works of Haruki Murakami to its pages.
Asher's expertise extended to translating French literature. She brought the works of authors such as Milan Kundera, Yasmina Reza, and Georges Simenon into English, demonstrating a keen ability to capture the essence and style of the original texts.
Her translation of Milan Kundera's essays was critically acclaimed for its clarity and grace. In recognition of her significant contributions to literary translation, Asher was awarded the Thornton Wilder Prize for Translation for lifetime achievement in 2020.
Before her impactful role at The New Yorker, which she joined in 1979, Asher worked in various editorial capacities, including at Life magazine and Psychology Today. Her early studies in Paris also provided a foundation for her later career.
Linda Asher's legacy is that of a literary curator and a bridge between languages and cultures, enriching the literary landscape with her discerning eye and skillful translations.
