57 Willis Street, Wellington Central, Wellington 6011 (04) 499 4245
www.unitybooksonline.co.nzEmail us
When Alan Preston kicked off Unity Books in 1967, the shop was tiny and cerebral and only whimsically-commercial, a wedge within the OUP showrooms. Expanding 5 years later into the 2nd of 4 eventual locations on Willis Street, Alan started the patt...
Products and specialities
Books, Education, Inspirational, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Online store.
Hours
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- HolidaysClosed
Reviews
Got to be one of the best bookshops in Welly! My favourite are the launches they have for fantastic New Zealand literature - most recently, the launch for Eleanor Catton’s "The Luminaries", short-listed for the Man Booker Prize. I’ve also seen Jan Wagner speak here, a showcase of exciting new poetry. The travel section is also excellent. A great place to pick up a gift for to impress.
Unity Books is a truly world class bookstore. Between their amazingly curated specialist sections, the impressively well read staff, and the regularity with which they throw important local literature events in-store, it's pretty easy to fall in love with the place. Unity Book's fiction and music book sections have always been a go-to for me. I got familiar with the works of Murakami, Lauren Beukes, Paolo Bacigalupi and plenty of other crucial authors here. I look forward to discovering more on my next visit.
There are so many amazing secondhand book stores in New Zealand (Wellington in particular), but sometimes you need something specific and you need it now. Turn to Unity Books in your time of need. With a great selection of New Zealand writers, an entire, stretching wall of fiction, both classic and extremely contemporary (like Tao Lin's Taipei, only out in the States in June), and many pockets of specialty books scattered throughout the shop, you may have stopped in for a specific title but you'll find yourself browsing for hours. As an added bonus, the staff is exceedingly knowledgeable and ready to help-- Unity is one of the only book shops I've been to where those staff recommended titles are truly appealing.
If the city is being rained out as it so often is, take refuge in Unity. There is a fantastic selection of books. You can find titles from smaller and local presses, as well as poetry, philosophy and art books. Crucially, there are comfy chairs in the store and so you are actually encouraged to lounge and read. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and seem to love what they do.
