Paul Sidey dies

Former Hutchinson editorial director Paul Sidey has died.

Sidey worked at Hutchinson for 31 years before retiring in early 2012. His authors included Ruth Rendell, with whom he worked for decades, as well as writer and director Alan Alda, broadcaster and writer Hugo Vickers, and the late Richard Attenborough, whom Sidey called a “hero who did not disappoint”.

His recent successes included Robert Hardman's Our Queen (2011), while his last book, edited on a freelance basis, was Richard Littlejohn's Lost World (2014), which spent three weeks on the Sunday Times non-fiction bestseller list.

Cornerstone m.d. Susan Sandon said: "We are extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Paul. He was a brilliant editor and a much loved colleague and he will be greatly missed."

Sidey was married to Doubleday publishing director Marianne Velmans.

Sidey and Rendell at his retirement party