The winners of the inaugural George Markey Keating Memorial Scholarships, in memory of the longtime Simon & Schuster rep and sales executive who died in June 2020, have been announced. Sponsored by the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, the New England Independent Booksellers Association, the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance and the Friends of George Keating committee, and managed by the Book Industry Charitable Foundation (Binc), the scholarships provide $250 to a bookseller from each of the regional booksellers association to be used for professional development. The winners:
|
|
| Bill Carl | |
Bill Carl from An Unlikely Story, Plainville, Mass., is the NEIBA area winner. He said, "Thank you NEIBA, Binc, and the George Keating Scholarship Foundation for this honor. We truly work in a field where we help to educate, to entertain, and to provide escape when the world gets to be too much.
"In a sense, we sell dreams, and I love what I do every day when I help people choose just the right book or bring a particular author to their attention. Thank you for understanding the importance of this job and for helping me become even better at it. I will always strive to make those connections in the store, to bring readers and authors together, and to foster that love of reading that I have within myself and share it with others."
NEIBA executive director Beth Ineson called Carl "the kind of engaged, committed frontline bookseller that George Keating regularly took under his wing. I can't help but think that George would be thrilled that someone of Bill's caliber would be able to further their bookselling education under the auspices of the Keating Scholarship."
|
|
| Alissa Redmond | |
Alissa Redmond from South Main Book Company, Salisbury, N.C., is the SIBA-area winner. Redmond said, "I am so honored and am grateful for all that SIBA and BINC do for one-man shops like mine! I am still very new to this industry and there is so very much that I know I have to learn. Ideally, I'd like to use these funds to travel to the next SIBA Conference. If that can't happen in person, I've been registering for all the great virtual bookseller education programs that SIBA and NAIBA have put on recently, and I will continue to do so whenever I can. Thank you!"
SIBA executive director Linda-Marie Barrett said: "We are so grateful to the Friends of George Keating for creating this scholarship in his honor. What an inspiring legacy, supporting booksellers in the regions where George worked, so that they can pursue educational opportunities and advance their skills and careers."
 |
|
| Jen Cheng | |
Jen Cheng of Old Town Books, Alexandria, Va., the NAIBA-area winner, said, "I'm so honored to be the recipient of this year's George Keating scholarship! I've been in bookselling a long time, but I'm still a relatively new book buyer, and there's always more to learn. I'm excited to find and take advantage of opportunities later this year for professional development. I am grateful to Binc and NAIBA for the scholarship assistance, and also for how both organizations have adjusted and have done such an impressive job adapting to the conditions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. They've continued to keep indie booksellers connected and better able to help and support each other. I've learned so much from NAIBA colleagues, both during Zoom sessions over the last year, and also in sessions and roundtables in the years that I've been lucky enough to attend the Fall conference. While I like seeing booksellers and old friends from all over the country at national conferences, regional conferences are my favorite. The show floors, breakout sessions, presentations and meals are bustling and exciting, but it's easier to have real conversations. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone IRL again, hopefully next year!"
NAIBA executive director Eileen Denger said, "I'm so happy for Jen. She has taken advantage of the many NAIBA programs during covid lockdown, and this scholarship will help her attend our in-person events when we open up in the Fall and Winter. Jen is working hard in her career as a bookseller, taking on new roles in her store, and we are honored that the friends of George Keating have created a scholarship to help booksellers do that."