Once upon a time, books were in danger. Bookstores were failing. Publishers were losing their way. The literary establishment was in despair. "No one reads books, no one buys books," they lamented. And the young readers, who might have made things different, were isolated and powerless. Then, from bookstore sales floors and entry-level publishing offices in New York City, a group of young people rose up. They looked around and saw that working together was the way to survive. They began to build a community for the next generation. They were not afraid of change. And the day was saved for books.* * *
In a more literal sense, Emerging Leaders NYC was born from an idea that originated far outside of New York City, with four booksellers
(1) who wanted to "create an opportunity for the next generation to find each other". Emerging Leaders was conceived by members of the American Booksellers Association as "tailored, but not restricted, to people forty or under, who plan on sticking with the industry for the next twenty years and demonstrate a passion for independent bookselling." The ABA created an Emerging Leaders Scholarship and hosted Emerging Leaders Meetings at Book Expo America in 2005 and 2006. But the project was "a movement, not a membership," and interested young people were encouraged to make Emerging Leaders happen on a local level.
Back in New York City after one of these meetings, a bookseller and a publisher
(2) wondered if the project could be expanded. In this capital of the book industry, where so many large publishing houses and vibrant independent publishers are located alongside world-class bookstores, shouldn't young people in bookselling and publishing find each other? And the first Emerging Leaders Night Out was created. Booksellers, publicists, editors, agents, journalists, and journalists met in a bar, talked books, and made connections.
As it progresses, the New York City incarnation of Emerging Leaders
(3) has developed a number of goals. It seeks to create an informal networking opportunity for young people in the book industry to trade ideas, information, and gossip, and come up with new partnerships. It seeks to remedy the disconnect that can sometimes exist between the office and the sales floor, as publishers, booksellers and literary agents break out of their isolation to learn how the other half thinks. It seeks to create a professional community for young booksellers who often think of themselves as "retail staff," when they are actually a vital link in the book industry and a source for new ideas. It seeks to draw attention to local literary events that enhance our community. And it seeks to make a place for young people who love books to enjoy each others' company.
Emerging Leaders NYC hosts a quarterly event, the Emerging Leaders Night Out (ELNO), often scheduled around a local literary event. This is an informal get-together at a bar or other venue, geared primarily toward booksellers and publishers but open to others in the book industry as well. As the project evolves, we hope to host more focused events where booksellers and publishers will discuss issues and actions for the future.
We're building our community and working for new ways of thinking, and we have high hopes for the future. We hope you'll join us.
