Very sad news: longtime bookseller Nick Setka died of cancer on Friday. He was 65.
He was a manager at Book Passage, Corte Madera and San Francisco, Calif., for many years and earlier worked at the University of California Press and at Cody's Books, where he was manager. He was also a former president and board member of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association, which over the weekend called him "a man loved and respected not just in his many roles in the bookselling community... but an amazing, intelligent man who will be infinitely missed by friends and his bookselling community."
In 2015, he was also the recipient of a James Patterson holiday bonus award given by the author to individual booksellers.
Book Passage owner Elaine Petrocelli commented: "There was nothing that Nick couldn't do. We are all better booksellers because Nick showed us what it really means to love books and all the people--authors, agents, publishers, sales reps, journalists, colleagues and especially customers--who make bookselling possible."
In an e-mail to staff, she wrote, "The last time I spoke to him, Nick told me that his years at Book Passage had brought him deep joy. For me, he will remain near register 3, finding that book that I had missed when I looked for it in the history section, and then recommending a couple of other books that illuminate the subject. I will picture the way his whole face lit up when customers came in to chat with him and to thank him for recommending the perfect book.
"From the history of the original Americans to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, he knew and loved books on all subjects and his love was contagious. Nick's wisdom and kindness was a gift. We are so fortunate that this magnificent man gave so much of himself to us."
