The Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Fall Tradeshow took place earlier this week in Portland, Ore., on the Columbia riverfront, which, ABA CEO Allison Hill noted, had a view that couldn't be beat. According to PNBA executive director and marketing director Brian Juenemann, the three-day event had "our largest number of exhibits and individual exhibitors, booksellers, and librarians since 2019." He added, "So, the recovery is real. And we have more member bookstores represented than at any point since 2013."
From Ballast Book Company in Bremerton, Wash.: Kate Larson (l.), a member of the PNBA education committee, with first-time attendee Karina Dominguez. |
That energy was represented by the 456 badged attendees, up from 394 last year. The number included 237 booksellers from 86 stores, 196 exhibitors, and 14 librarians. More than 70 authors were also part of the various events. Many attendees expressed how much they were looking forward to author appearances, education sessions, and meeting fellow booksellers and librarians. As one bookseller said, "I'm excited to see other people from other shows and check in with fellow booksellers to hear how their stores are doing."
PNBA board members Dan Ullon (Brick & Mortar Books, Redmond, Wash.); Cassie Clemans (Roundabout Books, Bend, Ore.); president Sarah Hutton (Village Books & Paper Dreams, Bellingham, Wash.); Marty Brown (Univ. of Washington Press, Seattle); v-p Christine Longmuir (Two Rivers Bookstores, Portland); secretary/treasurer Melissa DeMotte (The Well-Read Moose, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho); Rosa Hernandez (Third Place Books, Seattle); Katie Hartmann (Macmillan rep, Bellevue, Wash.); Katherine Morgan (Grand Gesture Books, Portland). |
In her opening remarks for the association's annual meeting, PNBA board president Sarah Hutton (Village Books, Bellingham and Lynden, Wash.) acknowledged the challenges that booksellers have faced for "doing what we do and celebrating how we celebrate in sharing information in community"--challenges that have been even more in consideration in light of coming off of Banned Books Week. But she added that "being here rejuvenates that fight in me."
Another item discussed at Sunday's PNBA membership meeting was the vision for PNBA's Spring Pop-up, which Juenemann called a "fantastic way to fill that long void in between trade shows so that people can get together." Juenemann shared that he was currently putting together the pieces for the Bend to Sisters, Ore., area.
Hutton announced that the PNBA is raising its rates modestly for the first time in "at least 15 if not 20 years." She prefaced the statement by asking the room to envision the time of "the movies Twilight and Juno. The songs 'Irreplaceable' by Beyoncé and 'Poker Face' by Lady Gaga" as that was the last time the rates had been raised.
From Third Place Books in Seattle: Zac Fletcher and Spencer Ruchti. |
New for PNBA this year was the live unveiling of the Pacific Northwest Book Awards Shortlist on the first night. Nathaniel Hattrick (Saltwater Bookshop, Kingston, Wash.) who is serving his second year as the awards committee chair, said that 295 books were submitted for consideration, and Tiffany LaSalle, PNBA program support, said that although authors and publishers usually are notified beforehand, as this was a live reveal, she will start notifying them this week. Up to six winners will be selected from the shortlist and will be announced in January 2025.
Also new for PNBA was the Reps Behind the Desk program, sponsored by Shelf Awareness. Reps Behind the Desk was the brainchild of Juenemann, who envisioned a dynamic setting to allow reps to expound on titles. The format of the session allowed participating reps to hold court as if they were hosts of their own late-night show, with book pitches and special guests. Juenemann said it was a wonderful opportunity to show "how funny or how passionate or deeply read some of these reps are. They're not reading the blurb off the back; they're emoting about how they felt about like six books in a row." The well-attended and lively event is expected to return the next year.
Charlie Hunts and Rosa Hernandez |
Education sessions included Autism & ADHD as Bookselling Strengths and Local Authors and You. In their Marketing and Branding session, Rosa Hernandez (Third Place Books, Lake Forest Park, Wash.) and Charlie Hunts (Charlie's Queer Books, Seattle, Wash.) defined marketing as the relationship between the bookstore and the customer, and compared it to a dating relationship. But in terms of engagement, Hunts encouraged booksellers to keep posting, and that "it doesn't have to be perfect; it's better if it's not."
Keynote speakers included authors Brian Selznick and TJ Klune. Selznick opened the last morning at a breakfast as he talked about his latest book, Run Away with Me (Scholastic, April 1) for the first time publicly. He said that in many ways the book--his first YA--is a departure for him, but the main question he asks himself when working on any story is: "What's the point?" Run Away with Me is about "Roman history, bookbinding, obelisks, and the shocking, beautiful discovery of queer love." Although he doesn't want to discount the long history of violence and homophobia, he wanted to focus on the joy.
Elizabeth Whiting (v-p trade sales, Scholastic); Brian Selznick; Chris Satterlund (district sales manager, Scholastic); Tegan Tigani (Queen Anne Book Company, Seattle, and ABA president) |
Selznick went on to talk about his time as a bookseller at Eeyore's Books for Children in New York City and the "thrill of handing the right book to the right reader at the right time. We know as booksellers that one of the ways we can offer some help is new stories." In light of censorship and recent book banning, he talked about the importance of offering and making available information for young people, for people to "see ourselves in books and... to learn about others through books." In conclusion, he thanked booksellers for "all the help you offer by bringing books to the people who want them, and even more to the people who need them. That, I think, is the point."
Next year's PNBA fall tradeshow will be held September 28-30 in Spokane, Wash. --Elaine Cho