Nosy Crow’s 'bold, sparkling' Ola Gotkowska dies, aged 36
Ola Gotkowska, the former rights manager at Nosy Crow, has died at the age of 36 after living with a form of motor neurone disease for nearly four years.
The independent children’s publisher announced Gotkowska, who had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, died on 5th February at home with her partner by her side.
“Ola was determined, bold, driven, funny, honest, fiercely clever and absolutely charming," m.d. Kate Wilson said. "She engaged with life with extraordinary passion. She loved books and she loved meeting people. Few people I have worked with have made such an impression on me. I am struck by how many people, writing to me about her, refer to her as ’sparkling’. And they’re right: she was a star. I am lucky to have known her for nearly 10 years.”
Gotkowska came to the UK from Poland as a university student, where she met her partner, George Harris. Determined to get into publishing, she joined Nosy Crow from a cosmetics packaging company as a rights assistant in 2012. Over the years she built the rights department and her role within it and, the year before she left, her multi-million pound sales accounted for more than a quarter of the company’s revenue.
After her diagnosis she agreed that she couldn’t continue her physically onerous role and became contracts manager, working full-time from home.
She spoke Polish and English fluently alongside French and Russian and, before her diagnosis, was learning Spanish. She travelled widely, organising Nosy Crow’s presence at the Frankfurt, London and Bologna book fairs annually, and to Sweden and Korea on sales trips. Visiting Korea in 2017, she was invited as a guest speaker at the Paju Book Fair.
Named as a Bookseller Rising Star in 2014, she was shortlisted for the IPG Young Independent Publisher of the Year five times, and nominated for the British Book Awards for Rights Professional of the Year three times.
Erin Murgatroyd, Nosy Crow’s rights manager, who worked for Gotkowska and was a close friend, said: “If you were lucky enough to meet Ola, you couldn’t help but be touched by her remarkable personality. She combatted her illness with extraordinary courage and grace, and continued to be the most thoughtful friend despite what she was going through. Having seen her, and her truly phenomenal partner, George, shortly before she died, I can say with honesty that she had a sparkle in her eye right up until the very end. There aren’t many people in this world quite like Ola, and she will be sorely missed.”
Axel Scheffler, Nosy Crow illustrator and shareholder, added: "I am deeply saddened to hear of Ola’s death after her long and terrible illness. She was a bright and sparkling presence at the Bologna and Frankfurt book fairs, both on the stand and in the evenings, when she was the most wonderful co-host at Nosy Crow dinners.
"She always radiated enthusiasm for books and was dedicated to her work. As a fellow EU migrant I always felt a special connection to her, as we could share our disappointment in our chosen second home after the Brexit vote. She is already missed and will be remembered with affection. What a loss."
Christine Baker, former editorial director of French house Gallimard Jeunesse, commented: “Ola was one of the brightest, most dedicated young publishers I have ever had the pleasure to work with. She was that most precious of things, a rights professional who combines a passion for books with a passion for the cultural exchange which is at the heart of our business. Ola had it all: enthusiasm, attention to detail, market knowledge and above all a shining energy which made me always leave a meeting wanting to buy everything she had to sell.
"Apart from her smile, her vivacity, her intelligence, passion and sense of humour, when I think about Ola what I think about first is her eyes: these sparkly brown eyes that looked straight into yours beaming warmth, joie de vivre, amusement and sharing.”
Nosy Crow is putting together a book of memories from people within the industry for her colleagues and ex-colleagues from Nosy Crow, people around the world who knew her and for her family in Poland. Pictures, tributes and memories can be sent to kate@nosycrow.com.
