Kawai still top of bestseller list

POPULAR READ: Gisborne author Dr Monty Soutar's fictional book Kawai remains top of the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list for softcover books. Image supplied

The first book in a trilogy by Gisborne author Dr Monty Soutar was last week confirmed as the No.1 fiction bestseller in New Zealand for the seventh week in a row.

Kawai - For Such A Time As This is set in pre-European New Zealand on the East Coast.

The softcover version has held that position since it debuted at the beginning of September and in the first two weeks it set a record for being the first fiction book to hold the No.1 (softcover) and No.2 (hardcover) spots on the Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list.

“Kawai seems to be setting records at the moment,” Dr Soutar said.

The hardcover version remains on the top 10 list — at No.5.

“My publisher included it in their display at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Europe last week and it's had some nice bites. It is getting such a great reception from a diverse range of the public.

“It's not any one sector that can be pointed to for its success but I have been moved to see people reading it who would never normally pick up a book.”

Steve Braunias, the literary editor of Newsroom's books section ReadingRoom, said it might be a first for a New Zealand publisher to issue paperback and hardback formats of the same title at the same time.

“A first, too, for it to be so immediately successful. It's an incredible achievement.”

The books sold so quickly that publishers Bateman Books had to order a reprint two weeks after it was released.