- 1.Tell us about Unity Books.
Unity
Books is a proudly independent and award-winning bookshop in the heart of
Auckland city, New Zealand. We also have a sister shop in Wellington. We
stock literary fiction, thoughtfully selected quality non-fiction,
oddities and take immense pleasure in the art of handselling - putting the
perfect book into the customer's hands, the book they didn't even know they
were looking for. We are committed to supporting local publishing and small
press.
- This is your first time in the States. Any surprises?
Yes! This
is my first visit to the States. One of the first impressions I had is how
warm, friendly, polite and welcoming the people I met in Denver (when I was
there for the ABA Winter Institute) and Los Angeles have been. Los Angeles
has a pretty similar aesthetic, atmosphere and geographic sprawl to
Auckland, though on a much larger scale, of course.
- Your scholarship was to work at the bookstore of your choosing right? Why Book Soup?
The amazing scholarship I was awarded by
Booksellers NZ and Kobo meant the opportunity to attend the Winter Institute
booksellers conference followed by work experience at an American independent
bookstore. We don't actually get to to choose the bookstore where we are
placed, but when I heard the placements were in Los Angeles, I crossed my
fingers for Book Soup and quietly suggested it as an amazing bookshop to
Booksellers NZ. Why Book Soup? Jo, my manager at Unity is a fan of Book Soup
and once described it to me as being like "Unity Books x 3." So
naturally I was curious. After looking it up, I knew it would be my sort of
bookshop from the high standard of literary fiction and non fiction kept in stock,
the location and the description "Book Soup
has been serving readers, writers, artists, rock & rollers..." I felt
at home as soon as I walked in the door.
- What books are you recommending while you are here?
I've
managed to recommend a few books to customers on the shop floor at Book Soup!
One is Lucia Berlin's startlingly superb 'A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected
Stories' - such cleanly written observational pieces. I also recommended
Clarice Lispector's short stories. I don't usually tend to gravitate to short
stories, but these writers are harsh mistresses of the form! I also recommended
Hanya Yanagihara's brilliant 'A Little Life', which was my book of 2015. It
turned me inside out and is one of the most immersive literary experiences I
have ever had. (I think we need to form a support group for those of us who
have read it, though!)
- How much of L.A. have you seen? What was your favorite?
I
have managed to see a tiny bit of LA. Vroman's at Pasadena was great. I
managed to get to Disneyland which was absolutely bonkers and exhausting, and a
real highlight for me was the extraordinarily esoteric and brilliant Museum of
Jurassic Technology.
- Are you taking any books back in your suitcase?
I
haven't started, yet! But I did buy a book about Duran Duran from Book Soup
and hope to pick up more special books during the rest of my travels to New
York and San Francisco. If I have to get another suitcase, so be it.
- What bookstores do you hope to visit in New York? San Francisco?
I
plan to visit The Strand, Three Lives & Company, Word
and Community in New York And, Green Apple Books and of course, City Lights in
San Francisco. And as many other independent bookstores I can find along
the way.
