Louise Ward

“Bookshops are places that bring us together — I think that’s something we all need…

One of the first events we held here after lockdown last year was a talk with Marilyn Garson. She’s a Wellington-based writer and her memoir Still Lives covers her time as a humanitarian aid worker in Gaza. It’s an excellent book, personal and insightful. Marilyn talked to a spellbound audience about her life and her NGO and UN work — and the complex and divisive history of the area. It was compelling. People wanted to talk long after the formal presentation. There were so many questions, and of course, some of the statements dressed up as questions that can be the bane of book talks, but that night even those enhanced the discussion! There was a sense of relief too that we had been able to come together to talk in person and get out into the community again.  Still Lives flew off our shelves that night and since then, as people have talked about hearing Marilyn and word has spread, it’s continued to be a book that readers come into the shop and ask for. 

Books connect readers and writers and bringing them together in real life can deepen the connection. To see someone who has created something you admire and to have the chance to hear and talk with them can be a long-lasting, life-changing event. It can also create a lasting relationship between a bookseller and author — and might be the spark that compels a bookseller to recommend an author’s book time and time again. The global pandemic has also highlighted the need to value local things. New Zealand books, particularly those booksellers could access quickly, in warehouses here in this country, were vital for readers and booksellers in the period after lockdown. And Kiwis are keen on hearing their own stories. New Zealand non-fiction has always been popular and the enthusiasm for our own fiction is growing and growing as booksellers promote the world class talent we have here on our own shores to readers.”

Louise Ward is the co-owner of Wardini Books, an independent bookstore in Havelock North and winner of Nielsen Bookshop of the Year 2020 at the NZ Book Industry Awards.