All Accolades
at PNBA
FROM PUBLISHING
TRENDS (MAY 2002)
There
were 11% fewer exhibitors compared to last year at the
spring Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association
show in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho. But business was reportedly
brisk on the floor, with a sense of community in full
flower this year. The festive mood in the air no doubt
sprung from the presentation of the PNBA Awards, and
from the fêting of PW’s book-rep-of-the-year,
David Glenn of Random House.
Attendees were seen sporting black canvas briefcases
provided by show sponsor David Matheson, the
author of Red Thunder. That book is based on
an oral history about the life of legendary chief “Circling
Raven” of the Coeur d’Alene Indians (Matheson is a tribal
member), and the signing at his publisher’s booth, Media
Weavers, was packed, as were many other show signings.
The educational workshops and panels were also fully
subscribed, with Carl Lennertz’s Book Sense
talk and the SPAN presentation from Marilyn
Ross particular hits with the crowd.
The PNBA Awards were presented at the Sunday night banquet
hosted by Chapter One’s Russ Lawrence.
The winners were: Virginia Euwer Wolff for True
Believer (Atheneum/S&S), Chris Crutcher
for Whale Talk (Greenwillow/Harper Collins);
Jennifer Blomgren and Andrea Gabriel for
Where Do I Sleep? (Sasquatch Books); first-time
novelist Craig Joseph Danner for Himalayan
Dhaba (Crispin/Hammer); and University of
Idaho education department staff member Louise Freeman-Toole
for Standing Up to the Rock (U. of Nebraska
Press). The authors regaled the audience with many
a tale, and the banquet food was — yes — award-worthy,
too.
We
thank Jennifer McCord for her contribution to this report.
©2002
Publishing Trends
