9th September 2004

I am very sorry to announce the death, in a car crash on Tuesday, of Printha Ellis.

Many people will know Printha as the author of the hugely successful Way Ahead, which was written for the Middle East but which has also sold very well in Russia, Poland and parts of Asia. Printha also wrote kindergarten and secondary courses for the Middle East, demonstrating her versatility as an author.

More recently, Printha took on the hugely challenging role of Chief Editor of the new primary course for China, New Standard English, designed for the introduction of English into Chinese primary schools for the first time in 2001. The course has now become the best selling series in the Chinese primary market, selling over 50 million copies in four years, and is laying the foundation for great improvements in the standard of English in China.

Printha was a wonderful author to work with, demanding of her writing and publishing colleagues, but she was also great fun, very professional and extremely creative.

She will be much missed.

Christopher Paterson
Chairman
Macmillan Education