Wrapped up in bookshops – NZ Bookshop Day Saturday 31 October 2015

Saturday 31 October is the inaugural NZ Bookshop Day. Pay a visit to a local favourite, or try someplace new.

Here's a grab-bag of my Christchurch bookshop hangouts (do tell about your faves in the comments):

then

• East's Bookshop - perfectly centrally located for a browse, saw Jasper Fforde talk there.
• Smith's Bookshop on Manchester Street - a cornucopia of books, you could lose yourself for hours in its rambling bookwilderness.
• Scorpio - like a platter of temptation. (bought a book about typography called Just my Type)
• Book city - by the IRD. I used to go there a lot with my Dad on work lunchtime rambles. The books are still in there if you peer in. (bought a book about Bronzino)
• That shop by South City that had loads of Taschen books. (Pierre et Gilles)
• The Children's Bookshop - when I was a new Mum, me and my wee girl were always hanging out on Victoria Street. (Mouk)

now

• Scorpio Books, still. The bijoux one in the Re: START, with an occasional foray to Riccarton for the big brother shop. (Bought books by Morrissey, Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker etc)
• Best books - a pop up book store, a fab part of the new Christchurch. (as pictured)
• The new Smith's Bookshop at the Tannery in Woolston. (bought High noon for coaches)
• Edgeware Paperback Centre. Shelves everywhere, heaving with books. (Bought Gwenda Turner ABC and a Raymond Briggs book)
• University Bookshop - oh boy, not just for students. (bought a little book about bookshops)
• Comics Compulsion in Papanui - a regular visit now is part of our lives. Comics rule! (Bob the Burger and My Little Pony comics)

To all the bookshops - and the people who make you tick and hum - you are the goodies. Love your work.

More about NZ Bookshop Day

• Like NZ Bookshop Day on Facebook.
• Read NZ bookshops: Thriving, Not just surviving from Booksellers New Zealand.
• Read our librarian Zac on the Original Children's Bookshop - The Bookshop that grew me.

What's on in Christchurch

There's a Snap me reading photo competition and an All Good: A New Zealand Colouring Competition.

Booksellers list of what's on - here's the Christchurch events:

Piccadilly Books - Celebrate your bookshop with your children! Bring the children in-store at 11m for a playful interactive storytelling show with Kirsty Collett, author of Fly Story Fly and while your young ones are being amused there is something for the Mums and Dads happening at the same time, internationally acclaimed postnatal educator, author, director and practitioner of BabyCues, Philippa Murphy will be in-store to chat to parents and sign copies of her book.

The Original Children's Bookshop Christchurch
It's Halloween, so dress up! Spot prizes for the best costume, colouring competitions for all ages - win books, gift vouchers, Book Tokens and a Hugless Douglas toy and slippers. Local illustrator Jenny Cooper will be instore from 11.00am - 2.00 pm and Helen Taylor will join her at noon and be here until 3.00pm. At 2.30pm community librarian Zac McCallum will be here for story telling.

University Bookshop Canterbury - Banned Book Quiz - Test your knowledge and be into Win!In celebration of NZ Bookshop Day UBS is running a banned/challenged book quiz. Penguin Random House, Walker Books, Hachette, HarperCollins and Nationwide Books have all kindly donated items for their awesome gift pack. Come in and give it a try! The winner will be announced on the 2nd of November.

Paper Plus Northlands - Conversation Couch & Speed Dating
Paul Cleave and Joe Bennett will be taking pride of place on a “conversation couch” at the front of the store where customers can join them for a beer/wine to discuss their books, or any other book/topic of their choosing. Kind of like speed dating with a famous author...

Scorpio Books - Meet with Local Authors and Poets
Patrick Evans, Being Eaten Alive, Making It and Gifted will be instore in the morning and over lunchtime meet Fiona Farrell, The Broken Book, The Quake Year and The Villa at the Edge of the Empire and during the afternoon meet with poets Jeffrey Paparoa Holman and Frankie McMillan. Enter the Colouring In competition and visit the store to be in to "Win Your Height In Books". 10.30 AM - Patrick Evans, 12.30 PM - Fiona Farrell. 2.30 PM - Jeffrey Paparoa Holman,
Frankie McMillan, Kerrin Sharpe & Amy Head