International Book Fair Scholarship Winners Announced

On March 6, Europa Editions and Other Press, the sponsors of the 2017 International Book Fair Scholarship for U.S. Booksellers, announced this year’s three winners: Jonathon Welch of Talking Leaves Books in Buffalo, New York; Jennifer Witte of Skylight Books in Los Angeles, California; and Camilla Orr of Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix, Arizona.

Welch, Witte, and Orr will attend the Turin International Book Fair (May 18–22), where they will take part in a customized schedule of panels, meetings, and parties with international booksellers, publishers, and authors. The Turin Book Fair will host a pop-up indie bookstore in the heart of the fair that will serve as home base for the booksellers, a venue for meetings, and a hub for bookseller exchange and author events.

Double the number of booksellers applied for this year’s scholarship compared to the inaugural scholarship in 2016. Michael Reynolds, editor in chief of Europa Editions, said, “I think other publishers will soon realize how effective it is at building relationships and creating a broader platform for international literature and ideas in this country. I hope they’ll join Europa and Other and that soon we’ll be seeing delegations of U.S. booksellers regularly attending all of the major international book fairs and festivals.”