20 years in business

For twenty years Paige’s Book Gallery has been showing Whanganui people what a real bookshop looks like. But it’s not all about window dressing and book sales; it’s about walking the walk as well as talking the talk. They do that at Paige’s by celebrating and supporting local authors – more on that later – and by making Whanganui a better place overall with their community efforts, good works and being all round good folks.
Right now, the Paige’s people will be sifting through the written word, entries in their poetry competition that closed at the end of last month. The brief was a simple one – write a poem in any format whatsoever. If deemed worthy, it will win a prize and could find its way on to the poetry trail, an honour for years to come. So, people did just that. They took their pens, pencils and keyboards, putting words, feelings, concepts and details into such an order that would give joy to those reading it. They took the ordinary and spun it into gold. They stood before the judges, shedding layers of skin like veils in an elaborate dance that would reveal the poet beneath.
I chose not to submit my own work, having far too much respect for the competition to subject the unsuspecting to my rhyming, rhythmic doggerel, knowing full well that my tacky and somewhat offensive 87 verses of The Freezing Workers’ Beauty Queen Parade would not find favour with the judges. Nor my parodies on classic verse, my Byronesque musings in modern - not suitable for children - vocabulary. Another time, perhaps. Or never, probably.
Poetry is a personal thing; it can strip the writer to the bone and bare all to the reader; such is the power of words. The process of poetry smithing is fascinating in itself. Some poets whip their words into line and into shape, forcing them to comply with a preconceived notion. Others coax them gently from their snug burrows into the cold air of creativity, promising them the companionship of like-minded words. Other poets seem to just let their words do whatever they wish, letting them fall into such patterns and rhythms as they see fit. Poetry is the ultimate writing individuality, and this competition will be a showcase for many. I wish them all the best.
Local authors have always had a champion in Paige’s Book Gallery. Phil Thomsen’s popular gardening books are on the shelves; Laraine Sole’s newly launched book about Whanganui East will be there – along with the creative efforts of many others from our incredibly productive community. Browsing the shelves and discovering the treasures thereon is an experience not to be missed. As someone famous once said, “It’s like a box of chocolates.” Just one thing – save the Turkish delight for me, please.
***by Paul - August 2024***

Looking for trouble

So there I was in Paige’s Book Gallery, buying Des Bovey’s book as a gift for a family member (I already have a copy), when I got chatting to Leonie Symes. She was regaling us with details about her recent birthday celebrations (not telling: that’s for her to divulge) then talked about a book she had read, because Paige’s is a bookshop, after all. It sounded fascinating, this first-hand account of European wars; the Spanish Civil War and World War 2, or its early stages at least. The book, titled Looking For Trouble, was published in 1941 and was by American war correspondent Virginia Cowles. Leonie described her experience of reading it so well that I felt I had to buy the book. Rochelle, who knows these things, said that Paige’s had a copy and she pointed to it, positioned in a stack of books against the wall. I’m sure it was there all along and was suddenly magicked into being by her pointing finger, but you never know. Paige’s is an enchanted place, after all. It’s also where conversations like this take place, and where people meet, renew friendships, catch up on news and usually buy a book or two. It’s a friendly place where finding things in common is relatively easy. Visit Paige’s, start a conversation or join an existing one. It doesn’t matter. Buying a book is optional but recommended.
By the way, I am really enjoying Looking For Trouble.
***by Paul - 11 April 2024***

dressed from a book

Recently I checked out Lockett Gallery, saw the current exhibition and chatted with Lesley Stead.
On display is a Storytellers Dress Exhibition by the talented Jenny Brown, who has designed, stitched and embroidered children’s clothing and accessories inspired by the main characters from children’s picture books.
“They are works of art,” says Lesley, obviously as impressed as I am by the skill, craftsmanship and imagination on display.
Jenny studied Textile Design in Wellington and has a love of graphic design, colour, shape and texture. Her extraordinary ability to manifest those in cloth is evident in the exhibition.
A common feature of the work and the wearable clothing is the ‘Suffolk puff’, the existence and use of which were part of my Lockett Gallery education that day. Ask about them, unless you already know, of course. Hint: they are not necessarily edible, despite the name.
It has been said that Lockett Gallery is an antidote to the state of the world. Walk right in and remove yourself from the real world mess – immerse your senses in the exhibition of the moment and understand why Lesley just had to create New Zealand’s only illustrators’ gallery.
Lockett Gallery, 65a Guyton St. Mon – Fri 10-4, Sat 10-3.
***by Paul - 4th March 2024***

Make Yourself at home

A few hours ago I witnessed an abomination, a bibliophile’s nightmare – books being dumped! A team of Rotarians and volunteers were cleaning up after vandals dealt to their store of second-hand books waiting to go into their charity sale. Stored locally (to me, that is), the perpetrators broke into the place where the books were, mucked about for a bit, exploring the premises, then sprayed the contents of a fire extinguisher over the boxed stock. What fun they must have had. I bet their grandmothers are proud of them.
Aware that the fine powder residue could be hazardous to those with respiratory conditions, Kate Smith and the rest of the Rotarians elected to get rid of all the books and the banana boxes in which they sat. A skip was brought in, the books were thrown in, and it was while the boxes were being flattened and chucked into the skip that I happened along and witnessed the tragedy.
Dressed most becomingly in personal protection gear – lots of translucent plastic and face masks – the volunteers dismantled all their hard work and threw it in the bin. Books, donated by people with good hearts, were disposed of permanently. It was heart-breaking for all concerned and should never have happened.
The people who committed that crime – and, let’s face it, it is a crime – had no thought of consequences. I don’t think they hate books or all they embody; I think they were just indifferent, and that’s much worse. They robbed Rotary’s chosen charities and cost the organisation for clean-up and disposal, all because they were bored and stupid. And they caused the destruction of dozens of books and all they mean to people.
Kate Smith wrote about it and the consequences in an article in the River City Press of February 8. Worth a read.

We know what books are and what they represent, or you wouldn’t be reading this blog. Books are an escape, a laugh, a cry, a puzzle, a solution, knowledge, joy and a whole lot more. The work, imagination, research and money that goes into each one is priceless. That’s why we value our books so much. That’s why we don’t count the cost when we see a book we really want.
The vandalism put paid to the January sale and February’s is in limbo. There will be another Rotary book sale, but they are now going to have to work harder and more people are going to have to donate their beloved books.
Speaking of which, if you love books and all they contain, you’ll love a browse at Paige’s. Honestly, if you haven’t been to Paige’s Book Gallery you are missing out on one of the wonders of Whanganui. It’s a real bookshop, stocked to the brim with new books – fiction, non-fiction, and that eerie twilight in between – and you will love getting lost in the titles. There’s a whole shop devoted to children’s literature and another across the road where illustrators display their work. It’s the only illustrators’ gallery in New Zealand.
Three showrooms, three reasons to visit, but there’s more. The people who devote their working lives to the success of Paige’s are also book lovers, and they can talk about books, writers, illustrators and more until the friesians return. Take yourself to Paige’s and make yourself at home.
***by Paul - Feb 14, 2024***

new year resolution

What’s your New Year’s resolution for 2024? Reading more? Too easy. Reading more and including a wider variety? Still too easy. Encouraging others to read more … or, at least, read something? Now there could be a challenge.
Think of the spin-offs if we were all readers. Aside from being better-rounded human beings with a wider world view, we would all be contributors to the great galaxy of words and their creative or informative use. We would be supporting writers, illustrators, photographers, editors, publishers, distributors, bookshops, libraries, and all the trades and professions that slot somewhere in there – printers, bookbinders etc. What a huge boost to the economy if we were all readers!
Yes, I’m preaching to the choir, after all, if you’re reading this, we’re all on the same song sheet. But what do you think of it as a resolution? To convert those who are yet to discover the joys of reading and introduce books to the very young, making the written word in its many forms part of their natural environment. I can think of nothing more worthwhile ... yeah, yeah, apart from world peace and an end to hunger and disease, but worldwide literacy and appreciation of the art of the wordsmith is a good start.
One of the first things you can do is bring a friend to Paige’s Book Gallery. Yes, I know, a brazen plug, but remember the sheer delight you felt when you first glimpsed the inside of a real bookshop? And I do mean Paige’s. Books of all colours, sizes and subjects filling the space from floor to easy-reach height; on tables, shelves, the counter, everywhere. One whole shop devoted to children’s literature! Wow! Another, just across the road, fitted out as a gallery to show and promote the work of the illustrator! Progressive thinking or what! Imagine showing all that to someone for the first time and watching the look on their face. Imagine, now do. Your mission, should you decide to accept it.
Cheers and all the best for 2024
***by Paul - Dec 31, 2023***

reading is zen

The world of the reader is vast: entertaining, adventurous, thrill-seeking, educational, investigative, emotional and infinitely varied.
The reader is not bound by age, ability, geography, or any of those manacles that impede lesser beings, but, on the contrary, is able to ignore such trivial ties and soar above and beyond the here and now.
Reading is Zen, the moment is a word, a paragraph, a page. The reader is the luckiest person on the planet, not just because of the skill that enables them to negotiate the intricacies of the alphabet, but because of the limitless directions and options they have available to them.
That vast world of the reader demands a bookshop able to cope, able to satisfy the needs of the word addict. In Whanganui, that bookshop is Paige’s Book Gallery.
I read. Even while I’m reading I’m looking for the next book, and the one after that … and so on. As readers, that’s how we roll. Also as readers, the best thing we can do for ourselves is be let loose in a place filled with books and people who love books.
Readers like to buy books as gifts for others, giving us an opportunity to look beyond our own interests and perhaps open new doors in the process.
Paige’s is three shops – the bookshop, the children’s bookshop and the illustrators’ gallery on the other side of Guyton Street. Paige’s is also Lesley, Rochelle and Celia – three women who love books as much as you do, more, if that’s possible. They can talk about books, recommend books, or quite happily listen to you rattle on about books, authors and anything else that crops up. They are interesting and interested people, probably because they love books and reading. To me, they have the dream job. Talking with them, while being surrounded by the publisher’s art, is paradise.
As Christmas fast approaches, you could do yourself and your loved ones a favour by doing last minute gift buying in that paradise – they’ll gift wrap your choices too, if you ask.
If you’re not sure what that certain someone would like, there’s always a gift voucher.
The world of the reader is vast, but the centre of it is Paige’s Book Gallery in Guyton Street, Whanganui.
***by Paul - Dec 20, 2023***

blue duck station

Blue Duck Station is a working farm, a place for adventures and a groundbreaking conservation project. Its story needed to be told … and now it has.
*Blue Duck Station: the land, the rivers and the people* is a book being launched on **Wednesday, December 6, at 5.30pm** at the Riverboat Museum, 1A Taupo Quay, Whanganui.
As its website says, “the station’s core values are to conserve its endangered wildlife, increase the health of native bush and rivers, and preserve the history of the area, while educating visitors about the endangered New Zealand blue duck, other native species and local history.”
Author Nicola McCloy has taken those values and the story of the property into a fascinating read.
On the banks of the Whanganui and Retaruke rivers, encompassing historic Whakahoro, the story of Blue Duck Station is a lot bigger than its geographical footprint, and this new book tells it all.
Dan Steele, owner of the station, will be at the launch, signing books and sharing his passion for the land. He, his family and their dedicated team work the farm and give visitors the experience of a lifetime on this environmentally significant farm.
The people at Paige’s Book Gallery are pleased to be able to present this launch and will be there with copies of the book for sale. Buy one for yourself and another as a classy Christmas present.
***by Paul - Nov 30, 2023***

Lockett GallerY

Lesley Stead’s vision of a gallery unique, wondrous and perfectly complementary to Paige’s Book Gallery.

Originally sited in the space adjacent to Paige’s, Lockett Gallery now occupies premises across the road, leaving its original location free for Paige’s to create a shop devoted exclusively to younger readers.

The Paige’s empire grows, through walls and across the street, leaving us in no doubt that books and their readers are not the endangered species some would have us believe.

This month and next at Lockett Gallery you can view the work of ‘doodler’ Gavin Mouldey. His self-deprecating nature refuses to allow Gavin to take his own work seriously, leaving it to us to appreciate the extraordinary talent of this artist, painter, illustrator and graphic designer.

His art is entertaining, interesting and varied, to the point where you would think more than one artist was involved, but it’s all Gavin. His work in Toroa’s Journey, for example, contrasts in style with his illustrations in Mia & Leo Go Wild!, and again with Connected magazine.

Then there are school journals and loads of commissioned pieces, all of which put Gavin Mouldey in a class of his own.

Now you can see his work displayed outside their books on the walls of Lockett Gallery in Guyton Street. Take a look, be amazed, and marvel at the art of the illustrator and the gallery that exhibits it. Gavin’s work is on show until November 30, St Andrew’s Day and Winston Churchill’s birthday, in case you’re interested.

by Paul - October 04, 2023

RECENT book launch LEADS TO LOCKETT GALLERY EXHIBITION Dec-Jan

Des Bovey recently launched his new book, Tongariro National Park: an Artist’s Field Guide, to a packed house at Space Studio and Gallery. Lesley and Rochelle from Paige’s were there, dispensing copies of the book faster than anyone probably imagined, to the point where all stocks were completed depleted. Des dutifully and willingly signed all copies presented to him and we all went away happy with the evening and our purchase.

It was a huge gala event and, as well as a chance to hear Des and his publisher, Robbie Burton speak, to watch Hamish McDouall officially launch the book and wish her Godspeed, it was an opportunity for like-minded people to gather, connect and enjoy the company.

From December 1 through to the end of January, Des’s art for the book will be on display at Lockett Gallery. One look will show you why his work is in such demand. He is too modest to tell you that, so let his incredible talent speak for itself.

That he has chosen to live in Whanganui is to our advantage. His work is to the benefit of everyone. That we have Lockett Gallery to show such work is something the whole country can appreciate.

by Paul - September 30, 2023

Des BoveY book launch

It’s here. The first event of the Whanganui Literary Festival happens on Wednesday evening 20 September at Space Studio and Gallery.

Tantalisingly titled ‘An Exquisite Piece of Natural History Publishing’, it’s the launch of the latest work by the oh-so-talented Desmond Bovey ‘Tongariro National Park: an Artist’s Field Guide’.

Published by Potton and Burton, makers of beautiful books, this is one for lovers of books, art and the natural world.

People from Paige’s will be there, bearing copies of the book for sale and, as they always do, extolling the joys of books and reading.

This launch of the 2023 Festival Fringe and of Des Bovey’s book should attract a big crowd for so many reasons: the venue is superb and testament to the work and community commitment of curator Sarah Narine; the current exhibition at Space is ‘Habitat Treasures’ – poetry and artworks inspired by this country’s endangered natural habitats; author and illustrator Des Bovey will be there to talk about the book and why it matters, in his own humble way; all your friends will be there; and Hamish McDouall will be launching the book.

The event starts at 5.30pm, entry is free, there’s no need to book (there’s plenty of space at Space), but be sure to pick up a copy of ‘Tongariro National Park: an Artist’s Field Guide’ from the Paige’s people at the venue. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the price.

by Paul - September 13, 2023