Out of the banana boxes and onto the tables for an event that really stacks up for bookworms and booksellers near and far.
Founders Heritage Park’s Annual Book Fair is one of Aotearoa’s most storied, featuring more than 400,000 community donated pieces of eclectic literature, music, puzzles, board games and magazines, all saved from the scrapheap, and now awaiting the dopamine rush of its new owners.
Opening at King’s Birthday Weekend, it’ll be the nine-day fair’s 38th edition, and the fitting end is all proceeds returning to the host venue to support its projects.
In organiser Susan Johnson's book, the set-pieces include Lucinda Riley’s books which “fly out the door”, and for 2026 it will be Ernest Hemingway’s first edition tales, and the large selection of children’s books which allow caregivers to recreate their own childhood reading experiences.
She says all items are cut-price and music biographies from David Bowie and other rock legends who strike a chord with Kiwis, and 5000 CDs and cassette tapes which are on the resurgence, will make this year’s fair one for the books.
“We have incredible music and vinyl donations including some that are actually still unwrapped, like a Beatles record, so that’s a really big deal,” she gushes.
“Lots of great jazz and lots of Deutsche Grammophon label records in mint condition, and also about a thousand 45s that are from a collector, and they're all pristine, all US, UK and New Zealand, but all are fairly rare, so that's going to be exciting for record collectors.
Susan notes that hundreds from across the motu book travel to Nelson for the fair, and the series of volunteers, donated items (most commonly the products of downsizing and estates), and the bespoke facility for them to be kept have made it illustrious.
“We have about 17 volunteers who sort all year round, and during the fair itself there’s probably about 100 people working on it,” she says.
“We also have volunteers who don’t live here but come down specifically to help with the book fair, which is incredible.
“Typically, as fair time approaches, we get a big influx of donations as people remember it’s time to clear their shelves and make room for more.”
The fair closes the book for another year on Saturday, 7 June. It is open daily from 10am to 4.30pm.
Admission is $2 per visit, or $5 for a Book Express weekly pass, which allows unlimited entry across the nine days. Children under 12 are free.
