Congratulations to Candlewick Press New England sales rep Debra Woodward, who has won the Saul Gilman Award, sponsored by the New England Independent Booksellers Association and given "for outstanding service as a sales representative to New England independent bookstores." The award will be presented at NEIBA's fall conference in Providence, R.I., September 30-October 2.
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| Debra Woodward | |
Woodward launched her career in the book business 35 years ago when she walked into the Paperback Booksmith and Musicsmith at the Newington, N.H., Mall and asked owner Marshall Miller for a job. Four years later she joined Lauriat's Books, where she stayed for seven years before moving on to become a buyer for bargain books and then children's books at Barnes & Noble in New York City.
Seven years after that, she returned to New Hampshire and joined legendary commission sales representative Tom Consolino's company, where she sold many lines, including Candlewick, for 13 years. As the commission group was winding down three years ago, she accepted the opportunity to represent Candlewick Press exclusively for all of New England.
NEIBA noted that "Debra was very lucky to have book-loving parents and an older sister who not only read to her as a child but continued to send her kids books that are great for adults. Along with her husband of 26 years--sports official and retired high school teacher Terry Dostie--and their five shelter cats (and of course, books!), her great loves are her friends, photography, folk music, great vegetarian food, Paris, animal welfare, being by the ocean and (wait till next year) the Boston Red Sox."
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| Joe Ginis | |
Congratulations also to Workman Publishing's Joe Ginis, who is this year's New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association William Helmuth Award for Sales Rep of the Year recipient. The prize is given to "the person that best embodies the dedication, book knowledge and heart shown, by the late William Helmuth of BookTravelers fame." Ginis will be honored September 20 at the awards banquet during NAIBA's Fall Conference September 19-21 in Arlington, Va.
"My first thought when you told me I was chosen for the Helmuth award was, whoa. Who put you up to this?" Ginis said. "I don't think of myself as a prideful person but I am very proud of being chosen for the Helmuth honor. It means the world to me to be recognized for a job well done by people I respect so much."
One of his nominations came from Lexi Beach, owner of Astoria Bookshop, Queens, N.Y., who said, "Joe is probably the best friend a new bookstore owner could possibly have. He was working to help me promote my store long before I even opened for business. He is gracious when I accidentally double book rep appointments, he gets me copies of my store's bestsellers even when the warehouse is out, he solves ordering & delivery problems almost instantaneously--all this while raising a brand new baby at home."