Timaru's Chapters and Verses Closes
Thirty years of New Zealand bookselling history ended in Timaru last Saturday (November 2), when the doors closed on Jeff Grigor’s noted independent bookshop Chapters and Verses.
The Bookman was very sorry indeed to learn this news from The Read this afternoon. Theiry years ago I was MD/Publisher of Penguin Books NZ and I well remember meeting Jeff at his first Booksellers Conference. Never lacking in energy, confidence and initiative he became renowned for being the most demanding of booksellers and some publishers reps visited him with fear and trepidation. But for 30 years he and his wife have provided Timaru with an excellent independent bookstore. He was most widely read, published a monthly newsletter and held regular book launches.
He will be widely missed both in Timaru and throughout the wider book trade. and I wish him all the very best for the future. Go well old friend.
I have fond memories of Chapters and Verses when I spent 20 weeks in Timaru at Aoraki doing the Creative Writing course run by Owen Marshall - what a shame for Timaru to lose their bookshop.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad that they closed after so many years, and I'm sad that they haven't paid their bill to me for an order that they made a few months earlier, that I sent in good faith. I didn't know they had closed down, and they don't reply to emails. This is not such a good way to go.
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