Meet Jane Arthur of GOOD BOOKS in Wellington
July marked the centenary of books industry advocate Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand. Like any anniversary, it’s a time for reflecting on what has gone before as well as looking ahead especially as demand for books increases and a growing number of bookshops open around the country.
Kete talked to booksellers across Aotearoa New Zealand to find out what they enjoy most about the work they do – and some of the strangest requests they’ve had from much-loved customers.
In our last interview to mark the centenary of books industry advocate Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand, Jane Arthur talks about opening GOOD BOOKS in Wellington with fellow writer and booklover Catherine Robertson. The store opened in July 2020 because, they say, “the middle of a pandemic is always the ideal time to start a new business.”
How did you become so interested – passionate, even – about books and reading that you wanted to open a bookshop?
In my twenties, I worked at Time Out Bookstore in Auckland and that’s when I caught the book-industry bug. It’s a common tale that once you work in books, you’ll never leave—and whenever I’ve dabbled outside the industry, I missed it terribly. It’s been my jam for almost 20 years of my life now! Having experience in bookselling, publishing and writing gives me empathy with all sides of the book world, I think. I didn’t necessarily picture myself owning a bookshop but it makes a lot of sense now I do.
Were there any bookshops you visited that inspired you?
All of them, in their way. One thing we’re trying to do at GOOD BOOKS is choose a select range of a bit of everything, more or less, not just the highfalutin Literature some people associate with indie bookshops (whether that’s true or not). We have a small Romance section, which people are happy to discover as it flags to them we’re a judgement-free zone.
So, how did you do it and what were some of the challenges you faced along the way?
It is weirdly hard to set up electronic payments, just saying. That was A Time. I definitely think it helped that I knew how the industry worked and how the bookshop supply chain worked. I absolutely take my hat off to people opening bookshops without prior experience—you are tenacious and heroic!
What do you enjoy about it most?
I love finding out what books are coming up—that buzz never leaves, it’s like mini-Christmas every week. And being surrounded by books and talking about books all day, and the goosebumps of recommending the perfect book to a customer. (I recommended The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue, which is about an Irish maternity ward in the 1918 pandemic, and the customer said, “Cripes, I worked as a midwife in Ireland,” which made us both feel a bit freaked out and cosmic. She loved the book.) I love the people who work with me and the people who visit our shop—book people are good people.
Can you tell me about some of the strangest or most difficult enquiries you have had to deal with?
Not really—every request is a little bit weird and entirely normal at the same time!
Not so long ago, there was much talk about the “death of the book” and, along with it, bookshops themselves but this hasn’t happened. What’s your theory on why this is?
I remember the terror-fuelled discussions of what e-books were going to do print books but that doomsday never eventuated. Online retailers were another threat, which never exactly goes away, but so many bricks-and-mortar shops these days have online shops too (like we do), it’s not so simple as Them vs Us. I can understand the fear of the new—but the technology of the printed book just can’t be beat.
Bookshops seem to be the type of place that garner loyal customers. Is there any such thing as a “typical customer” and what do you think your customers – especially the most loyal – enjoy about your bookstore?
New customers tend to say, “Wow!” when they first walk into the shop. We’re slightly off the main drag, so they don’t often expect to stumble across us—and our (award-winning!) architecturally designed fit-out is pretty stunning. Our regular customers say they like us because we’re small enough that our selection isn’t overwhelming, but they can also browse and discover gems. They like our handwritten recommendations. The design of the shop is very calming, which people comment on a lot too. A number of our customers support us because we’re currently the only Living Wage-accredited bookshop in the country.
Bookshops are also the type of place that many aspire to own or work in, why do you think that is and can the fantasy live up to the reality?
I suspect some people might imagine working at a bookshop means sitting and reading all day, which is not at all what we do, sadly. We read the back covers, maybe, but that’s about it! But if you love books, a bookshop is a wonderful place to be surrounded by them and surrounded by other people who love books too. You will not make your millions from owning or working in a bookshop, but you’ll love it.
What are your hopes for the future of bookshops and, indeed, the book trade in general?
The more the merrier, I reckon. I love that Wellington bookshops are so friendly and helpful to each other, rather than viewing each other as competition. The stronger the industry, the better for everyone. I’m not keen on Amazon muscling in on our local action, though.
What are you reading at the moment? Any New Zealand books you’re recommending to customers?
I’m reading chapters of Imagining Decolonisation (BWB Texts) in between other books and have just started Still Life by Sarah Winman after reading Carole Beu raving about it on Kete. Next, I’m looking forward to reading the upcoming Lauren Groff novel, Matrix, Megan Dunn’s art-school memoir Things I Learned at Art School, and The Memory Thief by Leonie Agnew.
We sell loads of New Zealand books—without trying to, even, though we also love trying to… Greta and Valdin was one of the joys of my year and it’s a really easy book to recommend as people are looking for books that are “good” but not too gruelling. I absolutely adored Michelle Langstone’s essay collection, Times Like These, and I’ve had the most beautiful feedback from customers once they’ve read it. Loop Tracks is fabulous, too, and another easy sell. New Zealand publishing is booming, I love it.
I imagine that your reading pile is always sky-high so how do you decide what to read and how do you deal with "book pile anxiety?”
Yes, it’s constantly toppling over. I try to read books that are almost or just out, so I can have them fresh in my mind when I’m selling them to customers. I try to mix up my reading so I don’t read two similar books in a row — alternating contemporary fiction, essays, poetry and children’s novels, and lots of local releases. Every now and then I indulge in a book that’s not a new release!
