Vale Barbara Mobbs
Literary agent Barbara Mobbs has died, aged 81.
Jane Novak, of Jane Novak Literacy Agency, writes:
Barbara Mobbs was a giant of our industry. A formidable agent, she had worked in publishing for 51 years and was admired and respected by publishers and authors alike for her sharp intelligence and wit and absolute commitment to her clients.
Barbara arrived in London in the mid 1960s and began working at George Rainbird Ltd., a publisher well-known for its clever packaging deals. She then took a job for Ure Smith, just one of two Australian publishers at the time—the other being Angus & Robertson. Ure Smith was famous for having published They’re a Weird Mob in 1957, but printing in Australia was expensive, so Barbara was despatched to Hong Kong to oversee production. She had a desk in an office full of shipping insurance agents (all men), and the shared telex machine was her only contact with Australia. One day, frustrated about not being able to get the details she needed for an order, she pulled the plug on the telex. The agents were aghast, as it meant they had no idea where their ships were, but they never disrespected her again.
Curtis Brown opened an office in Australia, and in 1971, Barbara was hired to manage contracts and royalty statements—and as a calm first contact for authors. When she was in London, she worked from Germaine Greer’s home two days a week. She worked with, or came into contact with, just about every notable Australian writer of the day, but her closest relationships were with Patrick White and Jane Glad, daughter of Norman Lindsay. In 1986, Barbara was abruptly dismissed from Curtis Brown due to personnel changes. Within 24 hours, both Jane Glad and Patrick White had offered financial support for Barbara to start her own agency. She declined both very generous offers, but decided to take their advice and went out on her own with Glad and White her first clients. Very soon, she was representing some of our greatest writers: Kate Grenville, Helen Garner, David Malouf, Drusilla Modjeska, the Joan Lindsay estate and Charmian Clift/George Johnston estates, among many others. Patrick White dedicated a novel to her.
In 2016, Barbara decided it was finally time to retire, and she handed the agency over to Jane Novak. In her retirement, she did what everyone in publishing dreams of—she read books she didn’t have to.
Novak adds:
She was an incredible mentor and friend, and I will never forget her kindness, generosity and friendship. When she asked me to take over her illustrious agency, I could scarcely believe it. To have earned her trust and esteem meant more to me that I can ever express.
Text publisher Michael Heyward writes:
The best thing about doing business with Barbara Mobbs was that I got to talk to her on the phone, often for hours at a time. She loved a good story, had a great ear for gossip, always knew the right thing to do, and was flawlessly loyal to her writers. She was a wonderful person and a wonderful literary agent.
Author Kate Grenville writes:
Barbara Mobbs knew when you wanted her to fight for you, when to drive a hard bargain and when not to, and when you were feeling disheartened and just needed a chat. Her brisk manner concealed a generous and caring heart. We authors were lucky to have her on our side.
Author Helen Garner writes:
Barbara was my agent for thirty years. She was a woman of hard-headed good sense and of fiercely moral character, an old-fashioned Christian whose faith was silent, selfless and generously practical. She had a bone-deep respect for what is decent, a slashing scorn for sleazy behaviour, and a love of wild laughter. She knew when to hold her tongue and when to speak out. I miss her, and I hold her memory in the highest and most tender regard.
Category: Obituaries
