BookPeople, the Australian booksellers association, held its annual conference and trade exhibition June 18 and 19 in Adelaide. In addition to conference programming, the BookPeople's Book of the Year Awards were presented, including best books honors as well as recognition for several indie booksellers:
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| Bronwyn Druce | |
Bookseller of the Year (joint winners): Bronwyn Druce of Red Kangaroo Books, Alice Springs. "For the past decade, Bronwyn Druce has brought her energy and passion for all things books and reading to the remote heart of Australia, Mparntwe/Alice Springs. The media and political spotlight shone on Alice Springs has highlighted our challenges but throughout the past year, the heart of our town has been the Red Kangaroo bookshop that has sustained readers and writers alike."
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| Mark Rubbo | |
Mark Rubbo of Readings, Melbourne: "No other bookseller has understood the needs of our readers and writers as Mark has. No other Australian bookseller has taught us the true nature of the bookshop that we all, readers and writers, dream of. Mark Rubbo has lifted bookselling in this country to an art that few can match." --author Alex Miller
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| Rachel Robson | |
Children's Bookseller of the Year: Rachel Robson of Gleebooks, Sydney. "As manager of children’s books, Rachel is consummately effective in buying, marketing, merchandising and managing across every aspect of her role. That requires a complete skill set: excellent book knowledge and a rich understanding of how to match book and author to customer. Add patience, care and a genuine belief that good bookselling is a rewarding vocation when you are as committed as she is, and you have a complete children's bookseller."
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| Emily Westmoreland | |
Young Bookseller of the Year: Emily Westmoreland of Avenue Bookstore, Melbourne. "Emily is a knowledgeable and friendly bookseller, beloved by staff members and customers alike. Emily runs our socials, coordinates our small supplier ordering, and took the lead with ordering for our Avenue Bookstore Hub at the Sorrento Writers Festival. Outside of the bookshop, Emily is the Program Director for Willy (Williamstown) Lit Fest and is perhaps, the youngest literary festival director in Australia."
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Noting the sales floor offerings at Canadian bookstore chain Indigo Books & Music recently ("it's hard not to notice the dwindling number of--well--books"), the Star reported that Toronto's independent bookshops offer a "stark contrast.... There are no escalators or crockery. The floors are often well-worn hardwood or covered by a cozy rug in intimate spaces choc-a-bloc with volumes carefully curated by the book lovers who run the place."
"Our sales are robust," said Anjula Gogia, retail manager and events co-ordinator at Another Story Bookshop. "The work that we do in our communities and events we present is constantly introducing new readers to our store."
Laura Carter, executive director of the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association, said there has been an increase in new independent bookstores opening across the country
Joanne Saul, the co-owner of Type Books who opened her first of three locations in 2006, noted: "When we opened Type, we hadn't seen a new bookstore open in 13 years and there had been so many closures. It was really the heyday of Indigo and Chapters and Amazon was just growing.... We weren't business people, but we loved books and I believed deeply that this was needed and necessary.... Around 90% of our staff have published books, so they're deeply rooted in the publishing and book community."
Miguel San Vicente, who for the last 25 years has co-owned A Different Booklist, which has become a hub for the Black community since first opening in 1995, observed: "People want to be educated. People want to reconnect with the physical bookstore because it's an opportunity to engage with people and engage in discussions on subjects that matter to them."
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Earlier this month, more than 100 French bookshops took part in the "Libraire d'un jour" (Bookseller for a day) initiative, organized by the Paris Librairies Association under the patronage of journalist Charline Vanhoenacker. The European & International Booksellers Federation's NewsFlash reported that participating bookshops "allowed their customers to take part in the shops' daily activities, offering them a glimpse into the bookselling profession. Visitors also had the chance to attend various dedicated events, such as book club reunions or author signings."
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U.K. writers are receiving enticing bids from Russia for foreign rights to their books this spring, "but many feel they cannot accept the money while the war continues," the Observer reported, adding: "The thirst for escapist literature in Russia has prompted a new bidding war for translated fiction. English-language authors of crime, romance and fantasy novels have received some unexpectedly enticing offers for their books this spring." Despite the offers, however, the war in Ukraine has led many British writers to resist the lure of Russian money.
"We leave it up to our authors to see if they want to accept an offer," said Kate Nash, a leading British literary agent. "We see it as an individual decision. We have quite a few offers in from Russia at the moment and one publisher has just increased their bid to get the deal done.... Suddenly demand is strong, especially in the more escapist genres. The market was depressed after the pandemic and the start of the war, but it is definitely back now." --Robert Gray