Dajah Williams of the Book Worm Bookstore, Powder Springs, Ga., and Christine Lavigna of Malaprop's Bookstore/Café, Asheville, N.C., are the 2021 recipients of the Nancy Olson Bookseller Award. Presented by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance, the $2,000 cash prize honors booksellers who embody the spirit of the late Nancy Olson, founder of Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh, N.C., in supporting writers--especially new writers--other booksellers and community outreach.
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Lavigna, a book buyer who celebrated her 15th year with Malaprop's in 2020, said: "I'm so grateful to receive this generous award. Since my first bookselling gig in college (at the long-defunct Gertrude Stein Memorial Bookshop in Pittsburgh, Pa.), I've loved the thrill that comes with finding the perfect book for the perfect customer."
Williams, a full-time bookseller with the Book Worm Bookstore, where she handles inventory and customer service and does the store's window displays and sidewalk signs, commented: "I'm both surprised and thankful for winning the Nancy Olson Bookseller Award. Being able to work at The Book Worm has hardly felt like work at all and has been full of great experiences, so having what I do be recognized by both Julia [Davis, store owner] and SIBA is something I'll always be grateful for."
The winners were selected by a panel of judges that included Sarah Goddin of Quail Ridge Books; Jim Olson, husband of Nancy Olson; and Linda-Marie Barrett, executive director of the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance.
"These were particularly hard choices as there were so many outstanding nominations this year," the judges noted in their statement. "We were impressed by the dedication and professionalism of the winning booksellers. In thinking about Nancy's legacy, we were reminded of her eagerness to help those who were starting out in the industry, whether as booksellers or authors, and her belief that bookselling could be a profession for life. After raising two children she started her own bookstore and through perseverance and dedication built it into an award-winning store. She spent 28 years doing something she loved. We are happy that the winners include both a bookseller who is fairly new to the profession and one who has been working and loving her job for many years. Both Dajah and Christine stand out as booksellers who love not just books, but their customers, their stores, authors, and the impact of a bookstore on its community."
Barrett added that SIBA and the judges are very grateful to the anonymous donor for bestowing these awards in Nancy Olson's name and making such a big difference in the lives of booksellers.