Binc’s Pam French Named Publishers Weekly Notable Person for 2020

As part of its Person of the Year package, Publishers Weekly has named Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation Executive Director Pamela French one of its PW Notables for 2020.

As Publishers Weekly said in its announcement, “The most important people in the book business in 2020 are . . . the booksellers, debut and midlist authors, editors, librarians, printers, publicists, sales representatives, and warehouse workers, to mention just a few — the workers, who have been the most important people in the business all along.”

“I see this recognition as an honor that belongs to all of you who have embraced Binc’s mission and made Binc your foundation,” French said. “We could not have scaled up operations so quickly and effectively without the relationships that have been built across our industry. We are thankful for your trust and your commitment to making sure that the book and comics community have a strong safety net.”

“We are proud that throughout the pandemic, Binc has not turned away any qualified people who came to us for help,” French said, adding that 2021 “is undoubtedly going to remain difficult for the book and comics communities, but thanks to the generosity of our donors, including authors, publishers, comics creators, and many, many others, we are confident we will be able to meet the ongoing and new challenges our 25th anniversary year will bring.”

“Many thanks for getting us here. Let’s stay connected as we head into 2021,” French said.

Booksellers in need of assistance are encouraged to take a look at the assistance page on the Binc website and to contact Binc directly at [email protected] or (866) 733-9064.