All about the book: from the Booksellers New Zealand Conference 2017

Plaudits to Booksellers New Zealand (https://www.booksellers.co.nz) for hosting a stimulating conference at Rydges Auckland over the weekend.

The business day on Saturday enabled publishers to meet with many of the leading independent booksellers from across the country and to catch up with colleagues and peers, while Sunday offered up a smorgasbord of conference content.

On Saturday evening the Book Industry Awards celebrated the high achievers from bookselling and publishing, in a fun and emotional dinner memorably MC'ed by Selina Tusitala Marsh. Click on this link for an awards round-up.

Selina Marsh gets the Awards dinner singing

Among the winners were the much-admired Gecko Press (Publisher of the Year), Time Out Bookstore (Nielsen Bookshop of the Year) and Ruth and the late John McIntyre of The Children's Bookshop Kilbirine (Lifetime Achievement Award).

While many good bookstores are doing well, rising high street rents are hurting many, while the GST-free status that offshore online retailers continues to hurt the NZ industry.

Do keep supporting your local booksellers — in these days of remote, unreliable communications, the role of the bookshop as a centre of community and ideas has never been more important.

Industry legends Paul Greenberg (sales rep to many publishers including Oratia) and Bruce Caddy (UBS Otago)