Book lovers think small
The season for curling up with a good book is upon us, and several thousand people turned out at Nelson’s Founders Heritage Park this weekend to stock up on supplies.
The Founders Book Fair, an annual event for around 30 years, opened on Saturday, with about $700 worth more books sold than on last year’s opening day.
The race to be the first through the doors to the park’s Energy Centre was more sedate this year. The usual sprint from the windmill at Founders was replaced by a fast, respectful walk.
It was won by 70-year-old book collector and book fair regular Glenn Haszard, who shouted, ‘‘Go 70-year-olds’’ as he made his way in.
Many more people headed to the Granary area than usual to pick up children’s books, event co-ordinator Karen Clark said.
‘‘The crowd divided almost in half. One of the Rotarians . . . said to me, ‘I think you need to tell them they’re going in the wrong room’.’’
There had been a growing demand for children’s books at the event over the last couple of years, Clark said.
‘‘What used to happen is 75 to 80 per cent would go into the adult area, only 25 per cent if you were lucky would go into the children’s books on the opening morning.’’
More children’s book were on offer this year, and they were of a higher quality, she said.
Book collectors started queuing as usual before 8am, two hours before the entry time, to make sure they had first pickings.
One of them, Angela Lindup of Hope, was hoping to find books on gardening, history and stamps. She also gives books away as Christmas presents.
Nelson author and book collector Jennifer Baumfield was near the front, and had been in line since 8.15am.
She said she collected books from most subject areas but ‘‘rushed straight for military books’’ before moving on to British and history books.
Book cover designer Holly Dunn was enjoying her first book fair as an adult, after moving back to Nelson recently. She had a stack of older books, and said she enjoyed their beautiful typography, motifs and design. ‘‘I think back in the late Victorian period, the books had a lot more detail put into them.’’
All the editions of the Nelson Evening Mail on offer from the 1920s and 1930s were sold, Clark said.
The nine-day event usually attracts around 12,000 people. It runs until June 10.