GrubStreet Founder and Executive Director Eve Bridburg remembers Esmond Harmsworth.

Our dear friend, Esmond Harmsworth, who was a dedicated literary agent to many in our community and a generous supporter of writers at large, died suddenly of natural causes a few weeks ago while on vacation with his husband and children. Those of us who were lucky enough to count him as a friend and professional colleague are still reeling from the shock of losing him. We talk a lot about the importance of being a good literary citizen at GrubStreet, and Esmond lived those values. He was amazingly down-to-earth and humble, and his generosity paved the way for programs that benefited so many of our writers. I am deeply grateful for all he did to help GrubStreet grow into the community we have become over so many years.

Esmond’s support of the GrubStreet project stretches back to our very first “Founder’s Circle,” a group of supporters who came together in 2003 to help fund our earliest days as a nonprofit. He didn’t know us well, but he believed in our vision. Over the years, he quietly contributed to projects which supported and changed the lives of mid-career writers, writers from marginalized backgrounds, and high school students. He opened his home for gatherings and he generously shared his publishing wisdom during many classroom visits with our incubator students. Through Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency and Aevitas Creative, Esmond also supported our Muse and Marketplace Conference, funding opportunities for authors, agents, and editors to network in style with good food and open bars. In recent years, he and his husband Jerome generously supported our efforts to establish a permanent home for writers and readers in the Seaport.

On a personal note, I was also lucky enough to have been Esmond’s colleague. Many years ago, I took Esmond out to lunch because I was considering working remotely for a literary agency out in California. I was curious what he thought about the idea. Being remote was unusual at the time. At the end of lunch, he surprised me by inviting me to join Zachary Shuster Harmsworth as a literary agent. Once there, he taught me the ins and outs of agenting, advised on which projects had legs and why, and read and gave me feedback on my proposals and pitch letters. When he couldn’t make it to literary conferences in various places, he would recommend me to the organizers, helping me expand my networks. He was an unfailingly generous and brilliant mentor: fair, ethical, and supportive. And, as a friend, he was witty, irreverent, and caring. He threw the very best parties marked by delightful surprises, dramatic flourishes, wonderful music and a sense of wonder. He was truly a singular person, and he will be so very missed.

Our hearts are with Esmond’s husband, Jermone, and his two children, Alfred and Liliane, and his entire extended family. We will be honoring Esmond in the coming months during our Manuscript Month in May and at our Lit Up Gala in November.