Unity Books first opened its doors in the Oxford University Press showroom within the Empire Building at 15-19 Willis Street, Wellington in September 1967, without much of a fanfare: a small notice in the paper announced the event, and daily sales in the first few weeks were in the region of $20 - $30 and on occasion, less.
From the outset Alan Preston's vision was to provide access to books in tune with the times and relevant to people's needs. Throughout several changes of premises the many fluctuations in the book and retail trades, and with the eager contributions of numerous staff, the Unity Books philosophy has remained constant.
Unity Books opened a branch in Auckland's High Street in 1989 and in the period since we have embraced the technology of the computer age with an almost innocent nonchalance, sourcing books from overseas, responding positively to part-remembered titles and plot-lines, gleefully handing out its famous Eleven for Ten card, and supporting literature in New Zealand.
