Dorothy Butler Children’s Bookshop co-owner and Booksellers Aotearoa Board member Mary Wadsworth has joined the Coalition Board.

Find out her thoughts about this new appointment and how it aligns with her work as a bookseller (and what she’s reading right now).

Tell us a bit about your focus in your day job as manager and owner of the Dorothy Butler Children's Bookshop.  

I'm excited to represent Booksellers Aotearoa on the Coalition Board. My sister Helen and I have owned and operated the Dorothy Butler Children's Bookshop for eight years now. As with most small businesses I get to do a bit of everything during my working week. From doing staff rosters to planning events to paying the bills and of course, the best bit, selling books!

How do you see your work with the bookshop and your role on the Board of Booksellers NZ aligning with the Coalition’s focus and activities?  

I think our vision for the bookshop couldn't be more aligned with that of the Coalition. We're all for anything that makes reading and books more visible and part of people's lives, particularly books by New Zealand writers and publishers. This is a strong focus for Booksellers Aotearoa too. 

What’s on your reading pile right now?

The Sparrow by Tessa Duder, Below by David Hill, Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld and I haven't read The Axeman's Carnival yet so that is next on the list!  

In June we welcomed two new Board members to the Coalition Board. Mary Wadsworth joins to represent Booksellers New Zealand and Kiran Dass joins to represent WORD.

Read the sixty second interview with the second new appointment to our Board, Kiran Dass.