The venerable Larry Ashmead, who retired from HarperCollins two years ago, could be getting back into the publishing biz.

Several sources say he will be joining Inkwell Management, the powerhouse agency run by Richard Pine, on a part-time basis. An Inkwell spokesperson acknowledged negotiations but said nothing had been confirmed.In his long career Ashmead has edited the likes of Simon Winchester, Ruth Rendell, Isaac Asimov, Susan Isaacs and Quentin Crisp. PW was unable to reach him by press time.