We present two awards to members of our community at the annual Fall Conference: the Saul Gilman Award for sales representatives (which is awarded by the NEIBA board) and the Independent Spirit Award for independent bookstores (which is awarded by BPRNE).

The Saul Gilman Award

The Saul Gilman Award is presented annually for outstanding service as a sales representative to New England independent bookstores. 

To be eligible, a sales representative cannot have won in the last ten years.

The 2024 nomination form is now closed.

Past Winners

2023 Jason Rice, Ingram Content Group
2022 Susie Albert, Penguin Random House
2021 Stacie Williams, Ingram Publisher Services
 2020 Suzette Ciancio, W.W. Norton
 2019 Emily Cervone, Chronicle Books
2018 Kate Sullivan, Random House Children’s Books
2017 Maureen Karb, Como Sales
2016 Anne DeCourcey, HarperCollins
2015 Biff Donovan, Penguin Children’s
2014 Debra Woodward, Candlewick
2013 Nikki Mutch, Scholastic
2012 Bob Werner, Macmillan
2011 Ann Wachur, Penguin Group
2010 Ellen Pyle, Macmillan
2009 Roger Saginario, Hachette
2008 Tony Giordano, New England Book Sales
2007 Katie McGarry, Simon & Schuster
2006 Peter Redding, Como Sales
2005 Bill Palizzolo, Northeast Publishers Reps
2004 John Muse, Simon & Schuster
2003 Random House New England Sales Force
2002 Nanci McCrackin
2001 Karen Gudmundson, HarperCollins
2000 Marc Seager
1999 Adena Siegel, Harvard/MIT/Yale University
1998 Karl Krueger, Penguin
1997 David Epstein
1996 Horace Coward, University Marketing
1995 Alan Fairbanks, Little Brown
1994 Arnold Nickelsberg, New England Book Sales
1993 Ralph Woodward, Woodward & Consolino
1992 Raymond “Bud” Fairbanks, Random House
1991 Jane Sherrill, St. Martin’s
1990 Hal Wilson

The Independent Spirit Award

The Independent Spirit Award presented by the Book Publishers Representatives of New England (BPRNE) recognizes the New England independent bookstore of the year.

Candidates shall be a current member of New England Independent Booksellers Association, principally a bookstore, have been in business for three years or more, and have exhibited creative excellence in the broad spectrum of retail book selling. 

Recommendations for a particular bookstore are open to the BPRNE membership. Each year any member may submit the name of one nominee accompanied by a short statement in support of the choice. The submittals should be sent to the Officers at least two weeks before the spring meeting. The officers will prepare a ballot of all qualifying nominees for the spring meeting for a discussion and a vote by the attending membership. In the event of a tie, there shall be a run-off.

Past Winners

2023 Bear Pond Books in Montpelier VT
2022 Titcomb's Bookshop in East Sandwich, MA
2021 Yankee Bookshop in Woodstock, VT
2020 All NEIBA Member Bookstores
2019 Wellesley Books in Wellesley, MA
2018 Eight Cousins Bookstore in Falmouth, MA
2017 Water Street Bookstore in Exeter, NH
2016 Norwich Bookstore in Norwich, VT
2015 Phoenix Books in Essex in Burlington & Rutland, VT
2014 Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, NH
2013 Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, VT
2012 Brookline Booksmith  in Brookline, MA
2011 Bank Square Books in Mystic, CT
2010 Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, MA
2009 Porter Square Books in Cambridge, MA
2008 Maine Coast Book Shop in Damariscotta, ME
2007 New England Mobile Book Fair in Newton, MA
2006 Brunswick Bookland in Brunswick, ME
2005 Toadstool Bookshops in Nashua, Peterborough & Keene, NH