Gelfand: I am a poet and fiction writer, editor, teacher, and blogger for the Huffington Post. I joined WNBA in 2004 when I was working on a novel and wanted to learn the ways of the publishing world. At that point, the San Francisco chapter was in need of leadership, so I became the co-President of the chapter! I had a great board. We reinvented the chapter by creating a fabulous website, instituting innovative programming and connecting to the local literary community. After two years, I was invited to become the Vice President of the National organization. I served as VP, President and Imm. Past President from 2006-2012. I now remain on the board as the Chair of the newly founded Development Committee. The committee is responsible for New Chapter Development and the National Writing Contest.
James: I am the immediate past president of WNBA and current Communications Chair, a newly created position within the organization. I’ve been in the book business since 1971—having my own store in the French Quarter of New Orleans, managing a university bookstore, covering eight Southeastern states as a sales rep, managing major accounts from New York, relocating to Nashville to work for Ingram Content Company (the largest book wholesaler in the country), and finally—full-circle—managing an independent bookstore in Nashville.
I count my years as national president as some of the most rewarding of my life. To have the experience of working with such gifted, intelligent, dedicated women as our national board was an honor, indeed. As communication chair, I am now focused on branding WNBA in a way that, not only the publishing industry, but communities across the country are aware of the work that WNBA does and will want to be a part of it.
Tomaselli: I currently serve as the National Organizations President, after serving as VP under Mary Grey during her term. During that period, I was also the WNBA Pannell Award Chair, which I took over from Mary Grey—I’m just following in her footsteps! In the capacity of president, my aim is to maintain and enhance the connection of all the chapters—ten across the country—to central hub of the national organization. It’s in a way a virtual nationwide group, in that there’s no central headquarters. I also oversee the operations of the national board, which includes not just the chapter presidents, but dedicated chairpersons who run our national-level programs: our three awards (the biennial WNBA Award, the yearly Eastman Grant, and the WNBA Pannell Award), our National Reading Group/Great Group Reads Program, our UN-NGO affiliation, and so forth.
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Feature
The Women's National Book Association
The Book World's Most Prestigious Group of Women
This month, I spoke with three inspiring women in the WNBA. And no, I don’t mean the basketball league. I’m talking about the original WNBA, the Women’s National Book Association, which was founded in New York City in 1917. Composed of more than 800 members in cities across the U.S., the organization is the hub for women in the book business.
From their bookstore, professional, and library awards to their brand new writing contest, the WNBA helps women connect and share the love of reading and writing.And they don’t stop there. I interviewed Joan Gelfand (Development Committee Chair), Mary Grey James (Communications Chair), and Valerie Tomaselli (National Organizations President)to learn more about the incredible women and programs that make up the WNBA.
IP: What are some of the benefits of becoming a WNBA member? Who should consider joining?
Gelfand: Beside the obvious—it is way to meet with wonderful colleagues—there are all sorts of professional development opportunities. Anyone involved in any aspect of publishing should consider joining. One of the highlights of my association with the WNBA was that I found my first publisher in the San Francisco chapter. Other highlights are that I have become a regular speaker at the San Francisco Writer's Conference, a Huffington Post blogger, and have been featured in many wonderful events as a speaker and performer.
James: I joined the WNBA when I moved to Nashville in the ‘90s and found that I wanted to widen my circle of friends and business associates. I’ve never been a “joiner” per se, but the mission of WNBA and its longevity as a national organization appealed to me. The fact that the organization is made up of lovers of the written word who work to spread that passion within their communities was just what I was looking for at that particular time of life.
Tomaselli: I became involved in the WNBA in the early 2000s as a way to expand my contacts in the publishing world. I own and operate a small book producing and editorial services company called MTM Publishing. It was my feeling that getting involved in a community of women dedicated to the book world would allow me to extend my company’s reach in the publishing world but create for myself personally a solid network of like-minded friends and colleagues. I was not disappointed.
I was also drawn to the history of the organization. Having been founded in 1917 in NYC by a group of women shut out of the all-male Booksellers League, the WNBA was part of a vital trend in women’s push for equal rights. My company had produced several volumes on women’s history and I knew of the ferment during this time period—before women had the national voting franchise—and I wanted to be a part of that history.
IP: Tell us a bit about the Literacy Partnerships and the work the WNBA has done with the United Nations.
Tomaselli: Literacy forms a cornerstone of our mission. We are an NGO affiliated with the United Nations Department of Public Information—and through this affiliation, we aim to get the word out to our communities about the work of the UN, in particular, its literacy and educational programming. At the chapter level, our literacy partnerships are varied and vibrant. For instance, the Boston chapter provides books, through donations at their holiday tea, of new and gently used books to The Women’s Lunch Place, a daytime community location for poor and homeless women and children. And the Washington, DC, chapter supports The Reading Connection, through which members can read aloud to children living in Virginia’s homeless shelters.
IP: You have many other wonderful programs, such as National Reading Group Month (NRGM) in October. What are some of the events centered around NRGM?
Tomaselli: The WNBA launched National Reading Group Month in October of 2007, our 90th anniversary year, to celebrate the joy of shared reading. One goal is to enhance the connection between readers and authors, through our chapter events during the month of October. The entire roster of events this month can be found on the website. As an example, the event in New York City, which took place at The Strand, featured five fascinating authors: Ben Ryder Howe (My Korean Deli: Risking It All for a Convenience Store), David Maine (An Age of Madness), Elizabeth Nunez (Boundaries), Marisa de los Santos (Falling Together), and Alix Kates Shulman (Ménage). It’s taped in full and available on The Strand’s YouTube channel.The NRGM celebrations will likely be expanded to more cities, as interest in starting new chapters has grown exponentially in recent years. If there’s not a chapter in a particular city now, stay tuned.
IP: Tell us a bit about some of your awards for professionals in the book business, libraries, and bookstores.
James: (on the WNBA Pannell Award for Bookstores) The draw for me was twofold: 1) [the Pannell award] rewards hardworking independent bookstores reaching out to their communities; 2) it also recognizes the importance of books and reading in a child’s life. The presentation of the award itself is probably the highest profile event of the organization in that it takes place at the BookExpoAmerica convention during the event that draws the most attendees—the Children’s Book and Author Breakfast. During my years of making the presentation, I was privileged to introduce Julie Andrews and had the nerve-racking experience of introducing Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, on the morning that her “fall from grace” hit the media! (She was lovely, by the way.)
IP: What made you decide to begin the writing contest this year? Were there many submissions for the first year? What are some elements you might change going forward?
Gelfand: We started the National Writing Contest as a way to support emerging writers. We are very pleased with the number of submissions (at last count 73, with two weeks left in the contest.) Going forward, we would like to include a non-fiction category as well as expand the poetry submission to include 3-5 pages of poetry (this year it was one page.) The winner receives a $250 cash prize and publication in the Bookwoman, the official publication of the WNBA.
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In 2017, the WNBA will be celebrating its centennial, with many wonderful events planned. As Tomaselli puts it, “We are renewing our commitment to the community of the book and reshaping it for the 21st century. It’s a great time to become a member.”
To learn more about the Women’s National Book Association, visit their website and find a chapter near you. You can also click here to get membership information and see why the WNBA is a wonderful resource for women everywhere.
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Jillian Bergsma is a writer and contributing editor for Independent Publisher. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in English. She welcomes any questions or comments on her articles at jbergsma (at) bookpublishing.com.