If you need a handy list of bookshops in Wellington, New Zealand, we’ve put together the following compilation of bookshops in the city. Read on to learn about them.
1. Good Books
Founded in 2020 by co-founders and writers Jane Arthur and Catherine Robertson, Good Books is a bookshop that offers a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books. Check out their range of fiction, including fantasy, young adult, romance, and poetry, as well as books on politics, science and architecture.
In addition to the books that Good Books offer for sale, the bookshop also sells different products such as tea towels, T-shirts and tote bags. Check out the range of products and books they have, available both on location at their store in Te Aro, Wellington, as well as through their online shop. Books available through Good Books include “The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird” by Diane Connell, “How to Loiter in a Turf War” by Coco Solid, and “Fawaray Girl” by Fleur Beate.
Connect with Good Books today.
2. Arty Bees Books
Situated on Manners Street in Wellington, New Zealand, Arty Bees Books is a bookshop that welcomes visitors looking for a good book to read. Open seven days a week, Arty Bees Books sells books about cooking, travel, history, philosophy, arts, and New Zealand, as well as children’s books and fiction novels.
Arty Bees Books sells new, used, and rare books, many of which have been bought from local visitors. Interested guests can bring in their books to be considered for exchange and credit from Arty Bees Books. Some of the books that Arty Bees Books has sold include “Mind Games” by Teri Terry, “Inheritance” by Robert Sackville-West, and “Maori Moving Image” by Sarah Pepperle.
Take a look at what else Arty Bees Books offers!
3. Book Haven
Created in 2003 in Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand, Book Haven is a local bookshop that is well-known and local visitors for its high-quality variety of secondhand books. They are proud to have a great selection of both fiction and non-fiction books for sale. Book Haven was founded by co-owners Don Hollander and Julie Eberly and is now run by new owners Annemarie Thorby and Marcus Graf, who took over Book Haven in 2022.
Go to Book Haven about New Zealand, literature, lifestyle, humanities, music and non-fiction books about animals, biographies, history and travel. Visitors can enjoy books like “Spidertown” by Abraham Rodrigeuz, “The Bride Stripped Bare” by Anonymous, and “Lost Luggage” by John Punti at Book Haven.
Reach out to Book Haven.
4. Another Chapter Bookstore
Another Chapter Bookstore is a bookshop that has created a comfortable, bright, welcoming atmosphere for visitors to come in and check out fiction novels, non-fiction books and other gifts and accessories such as cards and other products. The Wellington, New Zealand shop is open from Tuesday to Saturday.
Take a look at some of the different genres of books available at Another Chapter Bookstore, such as cooking, health, medicine, New Zealand, travel, and books for young adults and children. Some of the books that are available at Another Chapter Bookstore are “The Fish” by Lloyd Jones, “Almond” by Won-pyung Sohn, and “The Candy House” by Jennifer Egan.
Contact Another Chapter Bookstore.
5. Vic Books
Located in Wellington, New Zealand, Vic Books is a bookshop that offers different genres of books, as well as stationery, journals and other memorabilia. The bookshop was originally founded in 1975 to provide course textbooks to the Victoria University of Wellington and has since expanded its offerings.
Readers can rely on Vic Books for a range of books about Maori and New Zealand culture, science fiction and fantasy novels, and non-fiction books on history, design, and home economics. Look at some titles available at Vic Books, like “Blood to Poison” by Mary Watson, “Fantastically Great Women and their Stories” by Kate Pankhurst, and “The Way of Dog” by Zana Fraillon.
Speak to Vic Books.
6. Minerva
Established in 2008 in the Cuba Quarter of Wellington, New Zealand, Minerva is a bookshop specializing in books and materials for textile arts and handcrafting. The establishment was named Best Bookstore of 2021 in Metro Magazine’s Best of Wellington listing, Minerva welcomes enthusiasts and first-time visitors alike.
Along with their full complement of books and magazines about arts and crafts, Minerva also sells cards, threads, kits puzzles and stationery. Open seven days a week, Minerva is only closed to visitors on public holidays. The book shop sells books like “250 Japanese Knitting Stitches” by Hitomi Shida, “Broth and Stock” by Jennifer McGruther, and “Chromatopia” by David Coles.
Learn more about Minerva.
7. Whitcoulls
After being founded 130 years ago by George Tombs and George Whitcombe, Whitcoulls was created when the original Whitcombe & Tombs merged with Coull Somerville Wilke in 1973. Today, they are well known as a major chain of bookshops in New Zealand, with over 50 locations across the country, including the city of Wellington.
Whitcoulls offers visitors a convenient location to purchase products such as books, stationery, arts and craft supplies, games, toys and other items such as gift cards. The books Whitcoulls sells include children’s books, fiction novels, and non-fiction books about design, family, business, biographies and computing. “Meredith, alone” by Claire Alexander, “The Dawnhounds” by Sascha Stronach, and “Horse” by Geraldine Brooks are a number of books available at Whitcoulls.
See what else Whitcoulls sells.
8. Marsden Books
Marsden Books is a bookshop situated in Karori, Wellington, New Zealand. For over four decades, this family-owned book shop has been run by a small, dedicated team of book lovers. Marsden Books sells both fiction and non-fiction books, including children’s books, and non-fiction books about design, cooking, health, history, New Zealand, and travel.
Marsden Books is open from Monday to Saturday for local visitors. For a better idea of the kinds of books available at Marsden Books, look at “The Murders at Fleat House” by Lucinda Riley, “The Diamond Eye” by Kate Quinn, and “Guiding Lights: The Extraordinary Lives of Lighthouse Women” by Shona Riddell.
For additional details about Marsden Books, check out their website.
9. Book Hound
Open seven days a week, Book Hound is an independent bookshop in Newtown, Wellington that sells both new and used books. Book Hound sells a range of books that includes New Zealand fiction and non-fiction books about history, geography, crime, design, the occult and more.
Customers are able to conveniently purchase books and other products from Book Hound in-store or online through their website. Check out the books available at Book Hound, including “Madness: A Bipolar Life” by Marya Hornbacher, “Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art” by Rebecca Wragg Sykes, and “The Unnamable Present” by Roberto Calasso.
Go to Book Hound today!
10. Schrödinger’s Books
Recognized as Bookshop of the Year 2021 for its quality and service, Schrödinger’s Books is a local bookshop that sells a great variety of books for children and adults, as well as other products such as cards and diaries out of their location in Wellington, New Zealand.
Schrodinger’s Books offers a great range of books, such as “Let Them Eat Shrimp” by Kennedy Warne, “The Little Book of Going Green – Ways to Make the World a Better Place” by Harriet Dyer, and “The Rich Man’s House” by Andrew McGahan. Along with browsing through their great selection of books, visitors should also check out their website for information about events like Schrodinger’s Books’ “Conversations with Authors”, public chats with authors about their books and their writing process.
Plan a visit to Schrödinger’s Books the next time you are in Wellington, New Zealand.