Pippa Burch, owner of Arty Bees Books

4:36 PM, 21 November 2023

Arty Bees Books is a family-run, independent bookstore nestled in the heart of Wellington City. The business began in 1988 when my father, Bob Burch, (a 60 year old 'redundant' worker and short time flying instructor during WWII) bought a small bookshop in Cuba Street and six months later, a second small shop in Cambridge Terrace. The business was named Arty Bees Books, a play on Dad’s initials – RTB. This was the beginning of a family business which I took over in 2003 when Dad turned 80.

Over the years, Arty Bees has had many iterations, but we are now well settled into the current location in Manners Street. We have over 60,000 titles on over 1 kilometre of shelving. Books in stock range from the obvious to the outright bizarre with a specialized interest in the areas of Science Fiction and Fantasy and New Zealand Fiction and Non-Fiction.

I am so incredibly grateful to my wonderful staff who keep the shop ticking over in good times and when things are tougher. I am in awe of their book knowledge and their enthusiasm and this is what turns a space full of books into the Arty Bees we know today. The 7 current staff members have collectively worked for Arty Bees for over 100 years - a century of bookselling experience! The longest serving staff are Matt, who has been with Arty Bees for over 30 years and Wendy for over 20 years. Hats off to all of you!

As a business whose core purpose is to recycle pre-loved items, we are proud that we are not just filling up the world with more consumer junk.

During Covid, Matt introduced me to J.D.Robb and recently I have been binging on the exploits of Eve Dallas and Rourke. An entertaining diversion from my busy life with the shop and the grandchildren. I also recently read Carnival Sky by Owen Marshall. A beautifully written book which resonated, having cared for elderly parents in recent times.

—Pippa Burch, owner of Arty Bees Books