Meet the Booksellers of the Wairarapa
Originally written for the beautiful Wairarapa Lifestyle Magazine, you can read the full article here which includes the answers to all three questions asked of our booksellers.
❤️ Bookseller images courtesy of Featherston Booktown.
Boasting 13 independent bookshops and an official Booktown, the Wairarapa may just be New Zealand’s #1 Region for Readers.
We sent our booksellers the same set of first date style questions and they responded so enthusiastically, it’s easy to see why sharing the love of reading is alive and well in the Wairarapa.
Here’s a sampling of the curious and clever minds behind our bookstores:
You can take three books with you to a deserted island where you'll be spending the rest of your life. Which books are you taking?
A crossword dictionary, presuming there is a daily newspaper delivered.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. That should see me out.
A guide to tropical diseases.
Steve Laurence, Almo Books, 42 High Street South, Carterton
Relax in Carterton's dedicated bookstore. Steve specialises in children & young adult fiction, NZ and local authors and can be heard regularly discussing books on Arrow FM.
Something structurally challenging such as The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner.
Derek Taylor’s book on his life in music titled Fifty Years Adrift. He recounts, with humour, my favourite time in 20th century history.
The aptly named One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez.
David Hedley, Hedley’s Books, 150 Queen Street, Masterton
Wairarapa’s most historic bookshop, David’s Grandfather established the business in 1907. Alongside new titles are rare books and prints, vinyl, and magazines. David also spearheads ‘Yarns in Barns’ the Wairarapa’s Festival of Reading.
The Road to Ratenburg by Joy Cowley.
A tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
A dictionary.
Joanna Ludbrook, Chicken and Frog, 3 Clifford Square, Featherston
Exclusively stocking books for children, the store was once a Medical Center which Joanna has adapted into themed display areas sure to delight visitors of all ages.
Dava Sobel's The Glass Universe, to explore the constellations.
Johanna Knox's The Forager's Treasury, for culinary assistance.
Graham Oakley's The Church Cat Abroad, for solace.
Kate Mead, Loco Coffee and Books
50 Fitzherbert St, Featherston
Grab a cup of Havana coffee and explore Kate’s proudly eccentric collection of quality secondhand books. If you’re brave, ask to meet Theo, the in-house book monster.
Has a book ever changed your life?
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis. At 8 years old this book set me on my own voyage of literature and discovery which has never ended. There are so many levels to C.S. Lewis' books which still enthral me after all these years.
Dave Adams, The Dickensian Bookshop, 78 Fox St, Featherston
Specialising in modern and classic literature Dave and Patsy also stock an ever-changing selection of antiquarian books, collector's and reference books, antiques and curios.
Men to Match My Mountains by Irving Stone. As a teenager, I found this book inspiring as it explored the cultural and technical history of settling the west of the United States.
Lincoln Gould, Messines Bookshop, 76 Fox St, Featherston
Singularly dedicated to books about military history, Lincoln sells a range of rare, secondhand, new, and children’s books as well as military models and war games.
The first book I ever got out of the library (on my own) Chicken Little. I remember walking from the bus stop to my house with my nose in the book and not actually looking where I was going. It was the experience of falling in love with a book.
Sue Ryan, Mr Feather’s Den, 19 Fitzherbert St, Featherston
The 'Den' as it’s known to locals, reveals it’s delights before you even walk in the front door. As well as books you’ll find an abundance of ceramics and pottery, lamps, and taxidermy.
Shortest Way Home by Pete Buttigieg (former Mayor and 2020 US Presidential Candidate) inspired me to be of greater service to my community. As someone who was a bit too individualistic, I’ve learned the immense satisfaction in achieving things together.
Millie Blackwell, Mrs Blackwell’s Village Bookshop, 93 Main Street, Greytown
In a building that once housed the Greytown Library, Millie (that’s me!) aims to delight curious minds and romantic souls. Fine stationery, wood pencils and jigsaw puzzles accompany the books.
What is your favourite book read this year?
I’ve got four on the go right now and a stack waiting for my attention. So I’ll replace [the question] with my ‘touchstone’ book; the one that finds a way to speak to me no matter what age I am or in what circumstances I find myself. The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. If you ask me why, we’ll be in for a long conversation!
Brenda Channer, The Martinborough Bookshop, 6 Kitchener Street, Martinborough
The store’s motto is ‘Books You'll Want to Keep’.
Working in a bookshop you come across so MANY books that make you want to read them! One of those books was "The Secret Scripture" by Sebastian Barry about a woman, who was nearly 100 years old, who had lived in an asylum most of her life but no-one knew anymore why she was there. I enjoyed both the story and the author's writing style.
Jennifer Grey, For the Love of Books, 89 Fitzherbert Street, Featherston
In the Wairarapa’s most spacious independent bookshop, Jennifer offers a huge selection of secondhand books across all categories. Books are cleaned before they are categorised.
The Featherston Ferret did not take part in our speed-dating question round.
Featherston Ferret
50 Fitzherbert St, Featherston
A Wairarapa outpost of The Ferret Bookshop in Cuba Street, Wellington. The Fitzherbert Street shop has a wide selection of secondhand titles with a particular interest in Aotearoa-based stories.
Booklover’s Trail Audio App
Our friends at Featherston Booktown recently released an audio app to connect you with the booksellers of the Wairarapa.
Think of it like a collection of podcast episodes. My absolute favourite part is that Jessie had each bookseller finish their interview with an excerpt from a book. I can listen to others read all day so that part is a real treat!
The app is free to download and is available for all devices: the Apple or Google apps are best if you want to listen on your phone, and there is web version if you want to listen on your computer.
