Obituary: Edite Kroll
Maine literary agent Edite Kroll dies at 87 after a long struggle with mesothelioma
SACO, Maine – The literary community mourns the loss of Edite Kroll, an 87‑year‑old publisher, literary agent, and lifelong advocate for women’s rights who passed away peacefully in her Saco home on September 23, 2026. Her husband, Keith Walker, was by her side during her final days.
Kroll, born in Blasheim, Germany, in 1939 to Luise and Fritz Niedringhaus, grew up amid the turmoil of World War II. A high‑school study of the Holocaust profoundly altered her worldview, steering her toward pacifism and a lifelong commitment to human‑rights causes.
Unable to secure a place at a German university, Kroll first studied in Paris and then moved to London, where she began a career in book publishing. She worked for several major houses before relocating to New York City in 1965. In New York, she specialized in children’s books and became an assistant executive editor at Harper Junior Books, negotiating contracts for more than a hundred titles. Her experience convinced her to become a literary agent, a path she pursued when she founded the Edite Kroll Literary Agency in 1981.
The agency grew into a respected independent firm that helped launch hundreds of children’s titles, fiction works, and books on women’s studies. Kroll’s expertise in foreign publishing enabled her clients’ books to reach readers in dozens of countries.
Kroll met Keith Walker while traveling in North Carolina in 1980. After several years in New York, the couple settled in Maine, where Kroll had previously resided. She maintained the agency’s office in New York, but spent most of her time in Saco, traveling frequently to New York, Frankfurt, and Bologna for work. She was known for her generosity, her love of good food and white wine, and her lively conversation, often punctuated by spirited exchanges of opinion.
In addition to her professional achievements, Kroll was an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Saco and Biddeford. After moving from Portland to Saco in 2004, she served on the church board and chaired the membership committee, welcoming new members and visitors with warmth.
Kroll’s family life was anchored in transatlantic ties. She visited relatives in Germany each year, and after the death of her brother Udo in July 2025, she maintained close relationships with his widow Irina, their children Ole, Ulf, Britta, and grandchildren Liv and Luke. She also spent many Christmases with Keith’s sister Martha and niece Katie, and their children Luke and Eve.
The cause of death was mesothelioma, a rare and aggressive cancer often linked to asbestos exposure. Kroll battled the disease for several months before passing.
A memorial celebration of Kroll’s life will be held on Saturday, October 17, at 11 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 60 School St., Saco, where friends, family, and colleagues will gather to remember her enduring legacy.
