Celebration of Bookselling Caps Busy Day of Education

Following a busy day of educational panels and networking on Thursday, independent booksellers gathered at ABA's Celebration of Bookselling to honor standout colleagues and titles, and, ultimately, a vocation. Host and ABA President Russ Lawrence of Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton, Montana, spoke for attendees when he said bookselling is "a life-changing career, a life-changing way of life, and that's well worth celebrating."

The Celebration of Bookselling was sponsored by Ingram Book Group/Ingram Publisher Services.

Accepting the PW Bookseller of the Year award are, from left, Cindy Dach, Gayle Shanks, Bob Sommer, and Brandon Stout.

Perhaps the most emotional moments of the evening came when the PW Bookseller of the Year award was presented by PW Editor-in-Chief Sara Nelson to Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona. Standing with her husband and store co-owner, Bob Sommer, and colleagues Cindy Dach and Brandon Stout, Shanks thanked PW and "my colleagues who have so generously taught me this business--and whose stores are all winners in my eyes."

Book Sense Book of the Year adult fiction winner Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants (Algonquin), remarked, "What a difference a year makes!" and explained that, at BEA last year, she'd just been named a Book Sense Pick "and I really had no idea what was going to happen."

She told booksellers she was thankful for their support of her book, and for their support of her during last year's 35-city nationwide tour: "I really do get what you all did for me. I'm incredibly grateful. Elephants never forget, and neither will I."

Book Sense Book of the Year fiction winner Sara Gruen with incoming ABA Board member Tom Campbell.

Children's literature award-winner Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief (Knopf), said he appreciates bookseller's efforts to sell his hard-to-describe book. "That's why books like mine can be successful, and I don't take it for granted."

Nora Ephron won the BSBY award in adult nonfiction for I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman (Knopf). She said, "Thanks to you and to Knopf, next winter I will be able to buy many, many more turtlenecks."

Father-daughter team Craig and Isabella Hatkoff accepted the children's illustrated award for Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship (Scholastic). Craig Hatkoff said, "I don't think I've ever been in a room with a more important group of people.... Thank you for all you do."

Lawrence acknowledged outgoing ABA Board members Linda Ramsdell of Galaxy Bookshop in Hardwick, Vermont, and Carla Jimenez of Inkwood Books in Tampa, Florida. He welcomed Steve Bercu, president of BookPeople in Austin, Texas, and Tom Campbell of Regulator Books in Durham, North Carolina. Lawrence also commended the 100 new bookstores that opened in the last year and the students at the Prospective Booksellers School.

PW's Rep of the Year was Kate McCuhn of HarperCollins, and the Pannell Award winners were Erin Taylor's Wonderland Books & Toys in Rockford, Illinois (children's specialty category), and Mitchell Kaplan's Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida (general bookstore).

Gifts for the winners were provided by Levenger, and the Eliza Lynn Trio performed, courtesy of Putumayo World Music. --Dan Cullen and Linda M. Castellitto