Congratulations to Warwick's, La Jolla, Calif., and to Patricia Nelson, named PW's Bookstore and Sales Rep of the Year, respectively.
Founded in 1896, Warwick's was cited for being "beloved by its community, a host to vibrant literary events for authors large and small, and an anchor business for the Village of La Jolla." The fourth-generation owner is Nancy Warwick, who said, "My parents had a very close relationship and liked working together. Even though they raised us to feel like the store was a family business, they never pressured us to take over."
Nominated by eight people, Patricia Nelson was praised for "her encyclopedic knowledge, intelligence, curiosity, and diligence." She spent many years as a bookseller at the Huntley Bookstore in California and then at the University of New Mexico Bookstore, Living Batch, and Page One in New Mexico. In 1998, she became a rep with University Press Sales Associates. She covers 13 Western states, including Hawaii and Alaska, and said, "I always have felt that life is like a Scheherazade story: there's always another book, there's always another season. It's very hard to stop, because it's so appealing. My personal slogan is, 'What's a day without a bookstore?' "