ANN ARBOR, MI—The Book Industry Charitable (Binc) Foundation is now accepting applications for the Carla Gray Memorial Scholarship for Emerging Bookseller-Activists. The winning bookseller will be awarded a year-long scholarship for professional development, which includes travel and hotel to attend Winter Institute 2025, travel and hotel to attend their 2025 regional fall tradeshow and a $1,000 stipend to fund a community outreach project. The deadline to apply is Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, at 5 p.m. EST. New eligibility requirements and the application can be found at https://www.bincfoundation.org/carla-gray/.
The goal of the community outreach project is to find new readers and ensure access to books that improve readers’ lives while integrating bookstores even more fully into their communities.
This year’s scholarship will be the sixth awarded by the Friends of Carla Gray Committee and the Binc Foundation. It is intended to help a bookseller with at least one but fewer than 10 years of experience connect with other booksellers, publishers and authors, and establish the long-term relationships needed to keep the book industry thriving.
“We’ve been so inspired by the recipients of the Carla Gray Fellowship over the past years, each of whom have brought great energy and new ideas to the book community,” said the members of the Friends of Carla Gray Committee. “We can’t wait to see what this year’s applicants have planned!”
Learn more about Carla Gray and the outreach projects of past winners at https://www.bincfoundation.org/carla-gray/.
“The Binc Foundation is honored to support emerging booksellers through this scholarship and professional development opportunity that celebrates Carla’s legacy and her enthusiasm for books, bookstores and their communities,” said Binc Executive Director Pam French. “We look forward to meeting the winner in person at Winter Institute in 2025 and hearing more about their outreach project.”