Dave has been at the helm of Scorpio Books for almost 50 years. When he first bought the shop back in the 70s (then called Pisces Books), it was a tiny little place with mostly esoteric titles and (gasp) vegetarian cookbooks! Over the years, it has grown to become Ōtautahi Christchurch’s biggest independent bookshop, with a wide-ranging collection of quality books. With the help of a great team and a wonderful community of readers, the shop has grown significantly over the years, and now has a dedicated children’s bookshop, Telling Tales, and a travel bookshop, Scorpio Books Next Door, for locals and visitors alike.
‘We’re lucky that Cantabrians are great readers. They know the value of a good book, the pleasure to be had in browsing the shelves and chatting to other passionate readers, so that’s more than half the battle won.’
‘We offer a carefully curated selection of fiction and non-fiction, a handsome range of classics (which are more popular than ever), and if you still can’t find what you’re looking for, let us know. If it’s in print, our team of book sleuths will track it down and order it in for you especially at no extra cost.’
‘Our customers are a hugely diverse lot, but despite their differences they all seem to enjoy our range, the natural light, the wooden shelving that Jo made. And service! Genuine service. It can be a rare thing these days. There’s no expiry date on our vouchers, we have a very popular loyalty program, we offer free gift wrapping and free urban shipping in Canterbury. And of course our wonderful staff. We’ve collected a quietly marvellous bunch of characters over the years. They all have different interests and specialties and enjoy talking to people about books. Lots of them have been part of the team for many years now, and sometimes people leave for a while and surprisingly often they return, so that’s a good sign.’
Cameron has enjoyed watching the shop become a hub for local literary life over the years. His partner (in business and in life) Jo Hewitson loves the events hosted in the shop. ‘We host launches and signings, in-conversation events, a monthly book club – and they’re open to all. You meet different people every time, and it’s fascinating to hear authors talk about their work and the writing process. It adds a whole other dimension to your reading – a connection.’
After 50 years of reading, Cameron remains modestly voracious. ‘I used to read a book a night, but I’ve slowed down a bit now. I’m sure books were shorter back then. Now it can take me up to 10 days.’ His standouts for 2023 were Prophet by Helen Macdonald and Sin Blanché, and International Booker Prize winner Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov, translated from the Bulgarian by Angela Rodel. He’s currently recommending The Future by Naomi Alderman. ‘Dystopian but ultimately hopeful, this is a fantastically subversive novel that demands your attention. It’s one of my top reads of 2023. Perfect for fans of Eleanor Catton’s Birnam Wood.’
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