Center: Sybil Steinberg unveiling her Sybil's List in the Library's Trefz Forum; Left and Right: Signed copies of The Joy Luck Club and Timequake, respectively.
During her lifetime as a reader and her storied career as an editor at Publisher’s Weekly, Sybil Steinberg amassed an extraordinary array of books: advance copies of some of the most revered works in American literature, first editions, and volumes signed by the authors and often inscribed to the beloved Westport literary icon.
Steinberg passed away earlier this year, leaving behind this remarkable personal collection. At StoryFest 2024, many of these editions will be available for purchase as part of the festival’s celebration of her memory and impact on the community.
Proceeds from the sale will go to benefit StoryFest, the Library’s annual literary festival which this year is dedicated to Steinberg’s memory. There will be a special dedication ceremony in her honor held Saturday, September 21, at 1 pm.
The available volumes will be part of a table dedicated to Steinberg at the StoryFest book sale, located in the Library’s Komansky Room. Among the items for sale: a signed, first-edition copy, inscribed to Steinberg, of Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club, and a signed copy of Kurt Vonnegut’s Timequake, plus a collection of hardcover, softcover, and advance review copies featuring authors such as Joyce Carol Oates, Peter DeVries, and Laura Z Hobson.
Also available will be a compilation of past Sybil’s Lists, a collection of her recommended books that she would unveil to a rapt audience during a special event held regularly at the Library.
“We are incredibly thankful to the Steinberg family for donating these books to support StoryFest,” said Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “Sybil was an icon in the public library world and industry, an indelible part of the Westport literary community, and a true friend to the Library. We miss her terribly but look forward to honoring her, her memory, and her legacy at this year’s StoryFest.”
Steinberg graduated in 1954 from Smith College, where she served as editor of the student newspaper. After two decades as a stay-at-home mom, raising her three children in Westport with her husband, Harold, her professional career ascended when she took a job in the 1970s with Publisher’s Weekly.
By 1979, she rose to editor of fiction reviews, and in 1983, she began overseeing Publisher Weekly’s author interview department. As the fiction reviews editor, Steinberg introduced the boxed review concept to highlight promising talent; she selected Tan’s The Joy Luck Club as the first boxed review. As authors interview editor, she held conversations with Annie Proulx, Salman Rushdie, John Updike, and Fay Weldon, among others. In addition, she edited three volumes of Writing for Your Life, a series of books that featured interviews compiled from the magazine.
Her work was nominated for the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Steinberg also served on the board of the National Book Critics Circle and made numerous television appearances on PBS, CBS, C-SPAN, and NBC.
Following her retirement in 2001, Steinberg continued to review books, maintaining her ties to the publishing industry. And she introduced her treasured Sybil’s List, in which she would introduce her favorite books of the year at a special event held at the Library. She would expand Sybil’s List to a biannual tradition, establishing it as the go-to guide for Westport’s community of writers and readers. She unveiled her final Sybil’s List in December 2023, in time for the holiday season.
