Renée Senogles, marketing and publicity manager of Hardie Grant Publishing in San Francisco, died on December 19, as a result of the effects of uveal cancer. Renée had just turned 40 in November.

Julie Pinkham, group managing director of Hardie Grant, writes: "Renée joined Hardie Grant in May 2016, housed at Chronicle Books in San Francisco. Renée's commitment to her work was exceptional and appreciated by all in our London and Melbourne offices and was apparent in everything she did. We could have had no better person to represent us."

Tyrrell Mahoney, president of Chronicle Books, writes: "Ever-committed to her work and driven by her love of publishing, Renée was even responding to work emails last week. She made an admirable effort to win more time here in this world, never holding out hope that she could continue forward for years to come."

Renée worked at Harper One in San Francisco as publicity manager from 2013 to 2016. In Australia Renée was programming coordinator for the Sydney Writers' Festival in 2012 and at Allen and Unwin, where she rose through the ranks from publicity department coordinator to publicity manager.

Patrick Gallagher, chairman of Allen and Unwin, writes: "I am immeasurably saddened by the news of Renée's death. Renée joined Allen & Unwin and was soon recognized as an outstanding colleague and an absolutely delightful person. She impressed all who worked with her, her colleagues in-house and the numerous authors with whom she worked tirelessly. All liked her, many adored her. AC Grayling, Christopher Hitchens, Jodi Picoult, Michelle de Kretzer, the list goes on, and the books all received the greatest attention and the widest coverage. How bitterly unfair that the exciting career she had embarked on in the U.S. should be cut so short."

Renée had great skill and passion for her work and undoubtedly made a real contribution to the success of the authors' careers that she worked on as well as bringing value to the publishers she worked with.

In the end, though, it is her generous, kind, thoughtful and considerate personal approach that Renée brought to her professional life that so many will be grateful to have experienced.

It was Renée's request that no flowers be sent, so instead Hardie Grant and Chronicle Books will make a donation to her preferred research subject.