Elaine Greene

Elaine Greene
Born
Elaine Ruth Herbert

(1920-11-27)27 November 1920
Died10 January 1995(1995-01-10) (aged 74)
London, England
Alma materMount Holyoke College, Sorbonne
OccupationLiterary agent
Spouses
  • Robert Shaplen
    (m. 1944, divorced)
  • (m. 1951; div. 1969)
Children2

Elaine Greene (born Elaine Ruth Herbert; 27 November 1920 – 10 January 1995) was an American-born British literary agent who represented prominent authors such as P. D. James, Arthur Miller, and Dr. Seuss.[1][2]

Early life

Greene was born in New York City to Louis and Fanny Gilbert and educated at Mount Holyoke College and the Sorbonne. She subsequently worked in editorial roles at Random House and Alfred A. Knopf.[1]

Career

After moving to London, Greene became director of the literary department at MCA London in 1953.[2] When the company dissolved its department in 1961, she founded the Elaine Greene Agency, later named Greene & Heaton.[1][2] Her clients included Michael Frayn, Sybille Bedford, and Helen Oxenbury.[2]

Personal life and death

Greene was married first to journalist Robert Shaplen and later to Sir Hugh Greene, former Director-General of the BBC. Both marriages ended in divorce.[1][2] Greene died of lung and brain cancer in London on 10 January 1995, aged 74. She was survived by two sons and a brother.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Elaine Greene, 74, Literary Agent, Dies". The New York Times. 17 January 1995. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e O'Brien, Conor Cruise (20 January 1995). "Obituary: Elaine Greene". The Independent. Retrieved 11 November 2025.