History

The WNBA-NYC is the founding chapter of the Women’s National Book Association, which celebrated its 90th anniversary in the fall of 2007. Our organization dates back to October of 1917—before the 19th amendment guaranteed women the right to vote—by bookwomen seeking common ground and mutual support.

In October of 1917, fifteen women booksellers, who had been excluded from the all-male Bookseller’s League and from attending the league’s annual convention, met in Sherwood’s Book Store at 19 John Street in downtown New York. They met again on November 13 of that year with thirty-five women present and formed a permanent organization, the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA), electing its first president, Pauline Sherwood. WNBA’s unique characteristic was a membership open to women in all facets of the world of books—publishers, booksellers, librarians, authors, illustrators, agents, book production people—the only criterion being that part of their income must come from books.

During the early and difficult years of the organization, Publishers Weekly was a major supporter, allotting a page each month in the magazine for copy supplied by WNBA editors. In November of 1936, the organization published the first issue of its official publication, The Bookwoman. Originally a quarterly, it was published primarily for the benefit of corresponding members, but now is delivered to members in all chapters.

New York was the center of the organization for thirty years, building up corresponding memberships throughout the country. In 1958, a National Board was created to undertake projects of its own and to coordinate the activities of other chapters, which today are hosted in Boston (the second chapter to be formed), Washington, Nashville, Detroit, Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles,and Seattle (formed in 2008).  The New York members, working in the publishing center of the world, initiate programs that, to this day, benefit all WNBA chapters and the publishing community at large.

The late 1950s marked another milestone for the organization, when in 1959 the organization became a non-governmental organization (NGO) member of the United Nations (UN). Through this affiliation, WNBA members are ambassadors for the UN, especially focused on its educational and literacy efforts. Our organization disseminates information about the United Nations through our national and chapter publications and monthly programs, and we participate in activities for NGOs at the UN’s New York City headquarters, including regular briefings and the annual DPI/NGO conference.

In October 2007, the WNBA celebrated its 90th anniversary by launching National Reading Group Month. To be celebrated every October, NRGM under the WNBA’s auspices, aims to foster the growth and development of reading groups and to promote an appreciation of literature. Celebrating the joy of shared reading is the most recent step in furthering our mission to support the community of the book.  For more information, please visit www.nationalreadinggroupmonth.org