Colin Chiles

Member Profile

When Laurel and Colin Chiles bought their Wellington mind body spirit bookshop Pinnacle Books from Pathfinder founders Tim and Jennifer Eddington, Colin was, jokes Laurel, “one of the store’s best customers.” That was November 1995, and while Laurel had experience both as a librarian and with London Books, she was a novice in their specialist area. Today, that has turned around and Colin now defers to her book-buying experience

The cultural relevance and intellect of a city can always be judged by the health of its independent bookselling community, and on that criteria alone Wellington is
not just the country’s political capital but the undisputed literary capital as well.

Not only does it have a wide and diverse range of independent bookshops, it also has the best, with vastly more industry awards over the last decade being won by
Wellington bookshops than anywhere else in New Zealand.