From the Shop Floor

From the Shop Floor: Pictura Children’s Book Shop

Jo Pearson welcomes us inside Pictura Children’s Book Shop, where she sells hand-picked illustrated books for children. Pictura opened in early 2022 in the wee harbour town of Port Chalmers, 15 minutes or so from Dunedin city centre. I have…

From the Shop Floor: Mr Feather’s Den

Susan Ryan from a second-hand store of books and oddities in Featherston tells about their collection, challenges, and the value of a special find. Mr Feather’s Den started trading in December 2012, on State Highway 2 in Featherston. From the…

From the Shop Floor: Page & Blackmore

Page & Blackmore bookstore is a beloved Nelson icon and has been going strong for over 25 years. In this month’s From the Shop Floor, shop owner Jo tells us about Page & Blackmore’s history, their highlights and challenges, and…

From the Shop Floor: For the Love of Books

Featherston Booktown Festival is back this month for its ninth year, so we thought it fitting to kick off this month with a profile of a Featherston-based bookstore! For the Love of Books is a melting pot of second-hand books,…

From the Shop Floor: Books & Co

Along the Kāpiti Coast, in sunny Ōtaki, is one of our country’s youngest bookshops—Books & Co! Established in 2021, their team tells us what it’s like being the only independent bookshop in the area, their challenges, opportunities, and what books…

From the Shop Floor: The Kiwi Kids’ Bookstore

The Kiwi Kids’ Bookstore is an online bookstore that exclusively sells children’s and YA books by New Zealand authors and illustrators. It’s run by New Zealand author Kate Gordon-Smith, who writes junior fiction adventures and mysteries. Give us a one-paragraph…

From the Shop Floor: Diversity Books

Sarai Tuhua founded Diversity Books in 2023, an online bookstore dedicated to stocking stories that uphold inclusion and celebrate diversity. In our first From the Shop Floor segment of the year, Sarai gives us the rundown on her shop’s kaupapa,…

From the Shop Floor: Lamplight Books

Parnell bookstore Lamplight Books was recently crowned Bookshop of the Year at the Aotearoa Book Trade Industry Awards. We asked Melanie and Courtney to give us the inside scoop on their business, what they’re recommending this month, and more! Give…

From the Shop Floor: Chicken and Frog

We are pleased to present a regular series highlighting the work, expertise and enthusiasm of some of the greatest children’s booksellers of New Zealand. Here is Chicken and Frog children’s bookstore in Featherston, owned and curated by Joanna Ludbrook. Here…

From the Shop Floor: The Underground Bookstore

Today we profile The Underground Bookstore, a collective of Wellington-based authors passionate about promoting and celebrating New Zealand writers and giving them the recognition they deserve. Here, Vanessa Evetts tells us about TUB’s origins, successes, and goals for the future….