The Gersh agency, which has offices in Beverley Hills, California, and New York, has taken over representation of Ernest Hemingway’s estate from Simon & Schuster. The publisher has acted as an intermediary between the Hemingway estate and people seeking to publish his work since since 1994, when S&S bought Heminway’s publisher, Scrinber’s. Now the Hemingway family has said it will work with the agency to explore the writer’s properties and brand for film, television and digital media.
Gersh was founded in 1948 by Phil Gersh, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants to the US, who is often described as the last link to Hollywood’s golden age. His clients included the actor Humphrey Bogart and the director of The Sound of Music, Robert Wise.
Gersh partner Joe Vetre said: “We are thrilled to be working with the Hemingway estate. Hemingway is a 20th century icon, and the most important and influential American author of our time. Considering his tremendous literary work and fascinating personal life, we believe there are great opportunities to create future projects that will both honour his work and entertain new audiences in the years ahead.”
The Ernest Hemingway estate added:“The heirs and descendants of Ernest Hemingway enthusiastically welcome this relationship. As active and involved stewards of Hemingway’s work, we are excited to help foster the creation of fresh adaptations that can be enjoyed by both new and lifelong fans. We feel that modern film and television mediums are better equipped than ever to bring the spirit of Hemingway’s words to life in ways never imagined before. Papa fought hard to share his version of the truth with the world, and inspired so many to do the same. We are confident that with the help of Gersh, Ernest Hemingway’s works will live on to inspire courage and self-reflection, both on the page and on the silver screen.”
