When asked where my love for literature began, I think of my mother.
I think of the times she’d take my sister and I to the library as children every weekend and let me wander around like I was an adult. She never limited what I could or couldn’t read, but she did occasionally limit how many books I could take home when the titles I wanted to check out were spilling out of my arms. She clearly underestimated how much I loved literature and would eventually let me check out as many as I wanted when, after a week, I’d tell her I had nothing to read. To this day, she is still surprised how much I read.
The moment I was offered an internship with Abrams Books, I called my mother and told her about it–I didn’t even have to think twice about it. While fangirling about this internship over the phone, I’d remind her about one of my favorite series growing up, “Splintered” by AG Howard, which sparked my interest in working with book publishing and was published by the company I would be interning with. Interning at Abrams Books has been one of the highlights of my senior year that has brought me many joys and experiences like representing the company at my first book launch event at Barnes & Noble for a famous BookToker. I enjoy getting up early before classes and going to their office to see the multitude of books lining their shelves that subtly encourage me to keep pursuing my career goals.
When I was invited by Mary McAveney, the CEO of Abrams Books, to attend a networking gala hosted by a nonprofit focused on women in media, I knew I had to jump at the opportunity. Not only was it the first time I had been personally invited to an event by her, but it was hosted by an organization that believes in representing diverse voices in literature. Women’s Media Group (WMG) is a New York nonprofit association of women who have achieved prominence in many fields of media. Their goal is to create a space where women can network with one another along with mentoring young women interested in pursuing media careers.
Created in 1974, WMG was celebrating its 50th anniversary milestone at the New York Historical Society (NYHS) where attendees partook in a cocktail party and a silent auction where funds would “support the WMG Educational Foundation which is central to their mission to provide women with educational opportunities and financial assistance at all stages of their careers.” The event took place in the Tiffany Lamps Gallery at the NYHS for the cocktail portion of the evening and then transitioned to an awards ceremony honoring women, like McAveney, who embody WMG’s values of community, diversity and women’s empowerment.
In an interview with McAveney before the gala, she said she “thought it would be nice to have the company involved… [by inviting] a group of executives and a group of interns who could tap into the networking event that this gala could be.”
WMG Co-presidents Jodi Brockington and Jennifer Perry noted in their speech at the event that they knew they wanted the event to be during March because it was Women’s History Month, and at a venue that honors women as much as their own organization does. Despite the gallery being named after Louis C. Tiffany, the Tiffany Lamps Gallery actually offers a “hidden history [with] the contributions of women in the creation of [lamp] art,” as stated on the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library’s website.
It was emotional and beautiful to see an auditorium filled with women in the media industry supporting one another, especially in an industry that is male dominated in higher leveled positions. Forbes Magazine reported “women make up more than 50% of the college-educated workforce, yet they only make up a fraction of CEOs.”
There were many women at the gala who made incredible speeches that echoed this feeling, like the founder of We Need Diverse Books, Ellen Oh, who reflected on her journey of creating a nonprofit that would support underrepresented voices after hearing the low statistics of the lack of representation in children’s books ten years ago.
Publishing legend Marie Dutton Brown is a 57-year veteran of the book business who accepted the Media Trailblazer Award at the Gala. This award honored her as a woman who has broken ground and blazed a trail for other women in the media industry. She held the crowd’s attention as she shared her journey of being in the industry throughout the years and how book publishing has changed since she started.
Brown and Oh were not the only incredible Gala Award Honorees to be presented with an award that night. One of the honorees even thanked her mother for inspiring her love for books, which made me think back to my own mother, a fierce figure in my life who has stood by me as I keep working towards my dream of wanting to work in literature despite people’s thoughts.
One of the best moments of the awards portion of the evening was seeing McAveney accept the WMG Founders Impact Award, which is given to a current or former WMG member who has made a positive impact in their community and is inspirational in their work. From my seat, it was inspiring to hear her thoughts on her current position at Abrams after thanking everyone for nominating her.
“Being the first [female] CEO [in Abrams history] is not a personal milestone but it is a reminder that progress is possible,” McAveney said.
While in the audience, I was reminded of our interview earlier in the day. During the interview, I asked her how she felt about her long journey to becoming the president of Abrams Books. “I feel incredibly lucky to be in the position that I am in today. I love publishing; I got into publishing because I love books,” McAveney said. “I didn’t really know what kinds of careers an English major could have when I went to college. It was really eye opening to know there was a whole path around books.”
Hearing her answer and seeing her onstage accepting the award was such a surreal feeling that made me realize hard work and passion pays off. As a senior finishing up the end of my college education who switched majors to follow the path of literature, McAveney’s reflections on her journey offered me some hope for what happens next.
While I’d like to believe the media world is as glamorous as it seems from the outside, the truth is that it is a cutthroat, high pressure industry not made for everyone unless they have a strong work ethic and determination. As women, we are still considered the minority in this work environment, hindering our rise to success especially in such a fast changing industry. Despite knowing the obstacles that I may need to tackle in the future, I can’t help but feel excited to start my journey especially after a night of networking and listening to women’s experiences in the industry.
On the night of the WMG gala, I saw incredible women from different generations commemorate their publishing journey whether it was accepting awards or discussing their current success. It was touching to be in a room of women who were living proof that pursuing a career in books is not a silly dream–it is a way to impact people all over the world, from girls reading library books to adults hoping to make a break in the publishing world.