Asheville.com news: Malaprop's

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Asheville.com community news
Malaprop's Owner, Emoke B'Racz, Receives Book Seller Emeritus Award.

Emoke B'Racz, owner of Malaprop's Book Store, has been awarded the Book Seller Emeritus Award by Publishers Weekly. The winner of the Book Seller Emeritus Award is nominated by the nation's publishers and selected by ten anonymous judges who are also publishers. The award is based on several criteria including creative financing, community involvement and the overall success of the bookstore. The award will be presented Saturday, June 3rd, at the annual BookExpo American trade show in Chicago, Illinois.

Malaprop's Book Store has long been a local treasure for Asheville area book lovers due to its large and diverse selection of books and the personalized service offered by its staff. Malaprop's Book Store also has a caf� offering fresh sandwiches and various coffee drinks and is complete with a casual reading area where readers can enjoy a cup of coffee, a snack and read their newly purchased book. Malaprop's Book Store is also celebrating its 18th anniversary this year. B'Racz says, "I'm very proud that Malaprop's is the first Southern bookstore to receive this award."

Malaprop's was one of the first new businesses to open in the downtown Asheville area in 1982. This was a period of time when downtown businesses were moving to the malls and downtown Asheville was fast becoming a deserted area. Today, downtown Asheville is a bustling and thriving commercial district. By opening her bookstore downtown, B'Racz led the way in revitalizing the downtown commercial district. Three years ago, Malaprop's moved three doors down to their new and expanded location which allowed B'Racz to expand her inventory of books. B'Racz has a total of 27 employees, half of whom are full time employees.

Malaprop's stocks over 25,000 titles and has always specialized in Southern literature and international authors. B'Racz tries to stock the best quality of titles in each respective category. She listens to her customers and tries to have her bookstore reflect the tastes and interests of the community.

Poetry has also been a specialty for Malaprop's. The poetry section is very well- rounded and quite diverse.

B'Racz's personal philosophy coincides with a visitor to Malaprop's, Lama Surya Das, the highest-ranking American Tibetan Monk. Lama Surya Das said, "We need to be part of the solution." B'Racz says, "I agree with that philosophy and I try, through what we are accomplishing with Malaprop's, to live that philosophy each day."

Peter Jennings has been quoted as saying "Malaprop's is the best little bookshop in the southeast." If you have ever spent some time in Malaprop's enjoying a cup of coffee with a pastry while sitting in their reading section reading a newly purchased book, then you can understand why Peter Jennings said that about Malaprop's. It really is a special bookstore. Emoke B'Racz, by receiving the Book Seller Emeritus Award, is being recognized for her achievement on a national level for what everyone in the Asheville area has already known for the past eighteen years.