Norman Bogner

Norman Bogner (November 13, 1935 – December 12, 2022) was a New York Times Bestselling- author whose range of work has included several novels such as Seventh Avenue, The Deadliest Art, To Die in Provence and The Madonna Complex, as well as stage plays, and movie and television scripts. His first novel, In Spells No Longer Bound, was published in 1961 and his most recent novel, 99 Sycamore Place, published in 2009. By 2001, his books, which explore drama and intrigue as they play out between family members and lovers, had sold over 25 million copies worldwide.

Biography

Early years Norman Bogner was born November 13, 1935, in Brooklyn, New York, to Manny Bogner and Rose Schwartz. Bogner grew up in Brooklyn, New York, his parents divorced in 1942. His mother, Rose, owned a store that sold ladies' wear, while his father owned a small chain of such shops.

Career In 1953, Bogner began his college career attending the University of Alabama through 1954, and then transferring to Syracuse University where he graduated with a B.A. in English and Humanities (cum laude) in 1957. Bogner went on to do graduate work in English at New York University and the New School for Social Research in 1958–59.

When his book was published, he was asked to stay on at Jonathan Cape as an editor from 1960 to 1961, and editorial manager from 1962 to 1964. Among the authors whose works he edited were: John Fowles, Edna O'Brien, Ronald Harwood, Arnold Wesker, C. Day Lewis, and A. W. Lawrence. In addition, he also edited Derek Walcott's first volume of poetry, two novels by Claude Simon, and Alan Paton's book of short stories, Debbie Go Home.

From 1964 to 1966, Bogner was story editor for “Armchair Theatre” at ABC Television Ltd. (later merged into Thames Television) in Teddington, England. While there, Bogner was responsible for over 100 hours of network television. He also discovered and commissioned a number of then-unknown writers, including Tom Stoppard, Alan Ayckbourn, Charles Wood, and Dennis Potter. It was also at this time that he wrote The Waiters, a stage play, directed and produced by Giles Havergal, and The Match, a television play directed by Don Leaver for ABC-TV. In 1967, he wrote the screenplay for Privilege.

For the next 15 years Bogner worked as a script doctor in the film and television industry, not coming out with another novel until 1998 when he published To Die in Provence (Forge, New York, 1998). This was soon followed by Honor Thy Wife (Forge, New York 1999), and then The Deadliest Art in 2001, a sequel to To Die in Provence.

Bogner's last novel was 99 Sycamore Place (Brick Tower, New York, 2009).

Family On November 15, 1959, Norman Bogner married Felice Gordon (fashion designer, writer, publicist). They had three children: Jonathan Scott, Nicholas Sean and Alexander Evan. Norman and Felice Bogner were divorced April 1, 1975. On June 6, 1975, Norman Bogner married Lorraine Latham. They were married for 14 years before divorcing in 1989. In 1991, he married Bettye J. McCartt (talent and literary agent), who died August 9, 2013.