Book lovers rejoice! Venue found for Whangārei’s Zonta Book Fair

The Zonta Book Fair, in Whangārei, gets thousands of books, jigsaws and DVDs to sell for the group’s charitable causes. The event is on again next month after a new venue was found for the fair

Book lovers rejoice, a venue has been found for the hugely popular Zonta Book Fair, which will take place next month in Whangārei, with the call now out for people to donate to the cause.

Books have been a loyal friend to Whangārei’s Zonta clubs, with their annual book fair raising more than $700,000 for charity. But after more than 30 years, and numerous homes, the event needed to find a new venue for receiving, sorting and selling donations so it could go ahead this year.

The fair, organised by Zonta’s Whangārei and Hātea clubs and the Mangakahia Lions Club, is planned for July 27 and 28, but the lack of a suitable space leading into the sale was causing consternation and put this year’s event in doubt.

But after Zonta and the Lions put the call out for a new venue through the Northern Advocate, kind locals have come forward with a space for it to be held.

Judy Oliver, book fair co-ordinator for Zonta Hātea Whangārei, said several building owners offered premises and it was now full steam ahead to gather and sort the books, DVDs and jigsaws that will be donated.

She said the new venue was 4 Bougainville St, off Union East St in the Port area, behind Calders Design and Print.

However, Oliver said, people could drop books, jigsaws or DVDs off for collection in several places - The Discovery Settlers Motel, on Hātea Drive, from Monday to Saturday; Smart Water and Irrigation, 55 Commerce St, from Monday to Friday; and The Office Cafe, on the corner of State Highway 15 and SH14, in Maungatapere, from Monday to Saturday.

She said if people had a lot of books or DVDs to donate they could ring Geraldine on 027 490 3674 to arrange a pick-up.

‘’Everything’s now in place and we’re looking forward to another successful book fair . . . we can now start collecting all those books, DVDs and jigsaws that the generous people will bring in,’’ Oliver said.

‘’It’s great news that we now have a venue and can get on with organising and running the book fair. We look forward to people coming through the doors next month.’’

She said having one venue where the books could be stored, sorted and sold really helped with organising the fair.

Barbara Macdonald was one of the hundreds of people who picked up a book bargain at last year’s Zonta Book Fair in Whangārei. The event will have more than 20,000 books on offer at this year’s Zonta fundraiser

‘’There are a lot of books (up to 20,000 are on offer most years) and it’s heavy work transporting them from the sorting venue to the sale venue. And while we have the members of the Mangakahia Lions Club who really help a lot, it would be great if we didn’t have to transport them from one place to the other.’’

Oliver said that over the years the fair had poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into helping women and girls progress.

The initiatives funded have included Plunket, the School for Teen Parents and other students through scholarships, Helping Hands, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren and many other groups and individuals in the community.

‘’It’s all about helping women and girls to further themselves and people can help that by donating books or coming along to the sale and buying some. It all helps. The success of the book fair comes despite some predicting for more than a decade that the art of reading, and books themselves, are dying,’’ Oliver said.

Each year the book fair attracts hordes of book lovers from across the region with its wide collection that includes people’s favourites in paperback fiction, non-fiction, the arts and many more.

Oliver said the DVDs and jigsaws were also popular with the public.