Stephen M. Williamson, former publisher and longtime commission sales representative in New England, died November 29 at age 68. He retired from New England Book Reps in 2023 after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Williamson began his publishing career at Capra Press in Santa Barbara, Calif., and was instrumental in the 1983 publication of The Official Couch Potato Handbook. From there he moved on to publishing sales and marketing positions in New York and then Massachusetts, where he met his future wife, Betsy, at the U.S. office of Faber and Faber.
For a time, he was Consortium's sales manager, commuting from Massachusetts to the Twin Cities, handling all retail and wholesale accounts for the distributor. In the early 1990s, he founded the rep group Wilson/Williamson Associates with Stephen Wilson, covering sales from Massachusetts to Maine. After Stephen Wilson retired, he continued repping under the New England Book Reps banner, later partnering with the Rovers Group until those principals retired and he continued as a sole proprietor. He was also a longtime officer of BPRNE, Book Publishers Representatives of New England.
His family remembered: "Stephen made a habit of getting up early and having several cups of coffee (Café Bustelo, black) while doing the New York Times crossword puzzle--in ink. He was thrilled when a puzzle [his daughter] Clara cocreated was published by the NYT while she was in college. In addition to reading, his favorite pastimes included listening to his vast catalogue of music at high volume; seeing live music and movies; playing his guitars; and meeting with his Buddhist book group. He had a wonderfully quirky sense of humor and could be counted on for hilarious (and usually inappropriate) remarks. A talented cook, Stephen made fabulous spaghetti sauce that could never be replicated, even by those who watched him closely many times. Stephen's devotion to his cats was legendary, and he reliably ceded ground during nightly competitions for his favorite chair. He loved vacationing on Cape Cod with his family and friends, watching Fourth of July fireworks from the porch while Betsy cowered inside. He was always game to have his picture taken with his head stuck through a cutout. And he was the proud owner of what might be the largest Gumby collection on the East Coast."
A celebration of his life is planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Binc Foundation or the Northeast Animal Shelter in Salem, Mass., or buy a book in his memory at an independent bookstore.