A dynamic and diverse group of the finest international and national writers will converge on Wellington in March for the New Zealand International Arts Festival’s Writers and Readers Week.

Christchurch author and curator Justin Paton has been awarded the 2012 Katherine Mansfield Menton Fellowship. Currently Senior Curator at Christchurch Art Gallery, Justin is best known to New Zealanders as the author of the acclaimed book How to Look at a Painting and as the presenter of the accompanying television series, seen this year on TV1.

Paton, who has been described as ‘New Zealand’s most readable art critic’, has written widely about the visual arts. In Menton, however, he plans to turn his attention to a book about ‘shelter, memory, belonging and place’.

On behalf of The Read Renée Lang talked to four booksellers about their picks for summer reading a little less than six weeks before Christmas.

Arty Bees, Wellington

First up was Matt Morris (pictured below)  from Wellington’s Arty Bees.

“UBS Otago - my favourite bookshop as a student,” mused Booksellers web editor Emma McCleary when this store profile was planned.

“They used to run a permanent sale room upstairs but I don't know if they still do? That was a student's dream!”