[{"_1":2,"_1329":-5,"_1330":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_731":732},"root",{"_5":6,"_33":34,"_38":39,"_43":44,"_110":111,"_729":730},"menuLinks",[7,19,24,29],{"_8":9,"_10":11,"_12":13,"_14":15,"_16":-5,"_17":18},"_key","07171416491c","_type","linkInternal","documentType","locationPortal","slug","/stores","style","title","Our Stores",{"_8":20,"_10":11,"_12":21,"_14":22,"_16":-5,"_17":23},"6b665663ec71","page","/pages/about","About",{"_8":25,"_10":11,"_12":26,"_14":27,"_16":-5,"_17":28},"c1d4d5559585","newsAndEventsPortal","/news-and-events","News & Events",{"_8":30,"_10":11,"_12":31,"_14":31,"_16":-5,"_17":32},"96d6df6d8d70","contact","Contact","announcementBanner",{"_35":36,"_37":-5},"isVisible",false,"text","seo",{"_40":41,"_17":42},"description","PLEASE NOTE ONLY BOOKS LISTED AS 'IN STOCK' WILL BE GUARANTEED TO ARRIVE BEFORE XMAS","Unity Books","footer",{"_45":46,"_37":60},"links",[47,52,56],{"_8":48,"_10":11,"_12":49,"_14":50,"_16":-5,"_17":51},"e627ac9518c4","simplePage","faqs","FAQs",{"_8":53,"_10":11,"_12":49,"_14":54,"_16":-5,"_17":55},"985c42e50f70","privacy-policy","Privacy Policy",{"_8":57,"_10":11,"_12":49,"_14":58,"_16":-5,"_17":59},"775547883565","terms-and-conditions","Terms & Conditions",[61,75,84,93],{"_8":62,"_10":63,"_64":65,"_72":73,"_16":74},"9e13cb51afa4","block","children",[66],{"_8":67,"_10":68,"_69":70,"_37":71},"0e63f51d907e0","span","marks",[],"Unity Books is New Zealand’s leading independent book shop with stores in the heart of Wellington and Auckland.","markDefs",[],"t3",{"_8":76,"_10":63,"_64":77,"_72":82,"_16":83},"a83f1a018f09",[78],{"_8":79,"_10":68,"_69":80,"_37":81},"6fd5ca58001e0",[],"Both shops hold literary events. We specialise in New Zealand and international literature, poetry, history, and nonfiction as well as stocking the best new releases by award winning authors of both fiction and non-fiction in all genres.",[],"h5",{"_8":85,"_10":63,"_64":86,"_72":91,"_16":92},"94042bd8da11",[87],{"_8":88,"_10":68,"_69":89,"_37":90},"e828253cdabb",[]," ",[],"normal",{"_8":94,"_10":63,"_64":95,"_72":101,"_16":92},"0a1b701ffa43",[96],{"_8":97,"_10":68,"_69":98,"_37":100},"34f4531affd6",[99],"c53783d79443","About Unity Books",[102],{"_8":99,"_10":103,"_12":21,"_104":105,"_14":22,"_16":-5,"_17":-5},"annotationLinkInternal","reference",{"_106":107,"_10":104,"_108":109},"_ref","a9e30548-122c-4cd2-bbd8-df22c66de1f8","_weak",true,"locations",[112,351,505],{"_113":114,"_115":116,"_117":118,"_119":120,"_10":126,"_127":128,"_129":130,"_40":133,"_149":150,"_177":178,"_179":180,"_181":182,"_201":202,"_207":208,"_209":210,"_334":335,"_38":336,"_14":342,"_17":341,"_345":346},"_createdAt","2022-10-04T02:32:46Z","_id","18cbd9d5-b81f-4d55-8a26-bca8fdd0f776","_rev","BRry36AZI9nUfevEVzVSzU","_system",{"_121":122},"base",{"_123":116,"_124":125},"id","rev","iWxwPHILvhOLU6h6p0uF62","location","_updatedAt","2025-12-23T23:01:03Z","address",[131,132],"19 High Street","Auckland 1010",[134,152,161,169],{"_8":135,"_10":63,"_64":136,"_72":146,"_16":151},"581a9c7d7430",[137,141],{"_8":138,"_10":68,"_69":139,"_37":140},"ce0cd6ca15620",[],"19 High Street\nAuckland 1010\nPh. 09 307 0731\n",{"_8":142,"_10":68,"_69":143,"_37":145},"5cca9d434ac2",[144],"d7cc46773208","shop@unitybooksauckland.co.nz ",[147],{"_8":144,"_10":148,"_149":150},"annotationLinkEmail","email","shop@unitybooksauckland.co.nz","h3",{"_8":153,"_10":63,"_64":154,"_72":159,"_16":160},"efa7c0164e58",[155],{"_8":156,"_10":68,"_69":157,"_37":158},"d64537a784800",[],"\nOpening hours:",[],"h4",{"_8":162,"_10":63,"_64":163,"_72":168,"_16":160},"1123466806c1",[164],{"_8":165,"_10":68,"_69":166,"_37":167},"6a4ef74e2d5d0",[],"Mon-Fri 9am –6pm\nSat 9am – 6pm\nSun 10am – 6pm",[],{"_8":170,"_10":63,"_64":171,"_72":176,"_16":160},"f310b14d8a85",[172],{"_8":173,"_10":68,"_69":174,"_37":175},"66a52ab94ccd0",[],"*Public Holidays may differ – please call",[],"featuredMedia","https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/775952487/rendition/360p/file.mp4?loc=external&signature=512a8d4592f9559e1d121cff8a6331ea1877e5028ba35c34d1f9d16e556a3a97","featuredMediaDark","https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/775952453/rendition/360p/file.mp4?loc=external&signature=defd7768b2764bac761a8533d3640accf94dbbc5ba0534929687c60786115b28","hours",[183,190,194,197],{"_8":184,"_10":185,"_186":187,"_188":189},"68fb31f228ee","hour","days","Mon - Thurs","time","9am - 6pm",{"_8":191,"_10":185,"_186":192,"_188":193},"57cd2eadfc34","Fri","9am - 7pm",{"_8":195,"_10":185,"_186":196,"_188":189},"98e2491dbdab","Sat",{"_8":198,"_10":185,"_186":199,"_188":200},"1d513242a768","Sun","10am - 6pm","icon",{"_10":203,"_204":205},"image","asset",{"_106":206,"_10":104},"image-91ff929843d537484c4fb79c56beabd3c85817e5-28x28-svg","mapsLink","https://goo.gl/maps/ZsY6BdzkD4SqYLw8A","modules",[211,229,259,283,299,322],{"_8":212,"_10":213,"_214":215,"_219":220,"_126":228},"ca32b6599858","module.upcomingEvents","config",{"_10":216,"_217":218},"moduleSettings","paddingTop","medium","heading",{"_10":221,"_219":222,"_201":223,"_226":227},"blockHeading","Upcoming Events",{"_10":203,"_204":224},{"_106":225,"_10":104},"image-e91ebbefeff0de3578f848d58452fa20d1a3713f-80x80-svg","subheading","Experience Unity Books by discovering our exciting lineup of events – there's something for everyone!",{"_106":116,"_10":104},{"_8":230,"_10":231,"_232":233,"_214":234,"_203":239,"_37":242},"0c5d96e1c7a6","module.imageText","alignment","top",{"_10":216,"_235":236,"_237":238,"_217":218},"bgColor","background","layout","left",{"_10":203,"_204":240},{"_106":241,"_10":104},"image-a127bd6657b559a45ffdee0a1edcc641c1381747-1440x1440-jpg",[243,251],{"_8":244,"_10":63,"_64":245,"_72":250,"_16":151},"5a8ed8b10457",[246],{"_8":247,"_10":68,"_69":248,"_37":249},"bbde161607160",[],"Unity’s sister shop could not have found a more perfect location in Auckland. On the 20th of February 1989 it fitted into High Street like a comma in Ulysses. The little street was full of surprising retail options with a pick and mix of shops selling everything in style and fashion to bowl lattēs and local wines. Auckland was lit and Unity offered the best guides to being in the world of books.",[],{"_8":252,"_10":63,"_64":253,"_72":258,"_16":151},"4beb0cc11efe",[254],{"_8":255,"_10":68,"_69":256,"_37":257},"e3ba5edabf350",[],"The shop's co-managers Nigel Cox and Jo McColl,were fresh from Wellington and ready for business. Nigel agitated for change in outdated importing laws and they went about stocking the shelves with the most covetable selection of hardbacks and paperbacks available. For a short time a ‘reading room’ with percolated coffee was created in the Bunker; an underground space below the shop accessed by steep and treacherous stairs. It wasn’t long before the shop established itself as a hub, a place to exchange ideas and debate the merits of different writers. Conversations carried over from the bar across the road, Nigel waved the flag of New Zealand literature and Jo McColl made sure cowboy novels got premium counter space.",[],{"_8":260,"_10":231,"_232":233,"_214":261,"_203":263,"_37":266},"7d14059cdcf1",{"_10":216,"_237":262,"_217":218},"right",{"_10":203,"_204":264},{"_106":265,"_10":104},"image-a6dc76321f343d8d9c2a7b5202e2f38b3a9b545c-1080x1064-jpg",[267,275],{"_8":268,"_10":63,"_64":269,"_72":274,"_16":151},"3a36c7922e1e",[270],{"_8":271,"_10":68,"_69":272,"_37":273},"e2687ebe79050",[],"When Nigel Cox left the shop in 1993 to pursue a writing career, Carolyn Alexander was hired. If it had been anyone else this story might have ended here. Only Caro had the skills and knowledge to run a bookshop in the pre internet era with the same dedication and passion and drive that her predecessor had.",[],{"_8":276,"_10":63,"_64":277,"_72":282,"_16":151},"2660f8a5108f",[278],{"_8":279,"_10":68,"_69":280,"_37":281},"e50479a5d9a70",[],"For years the minds of Jo and Caro were the harddrive to the shop’s inventory and the staff were trained to know just where a title might be found on its many shelves and tables. Books stacked on the floor waiting to be put away defied disorderliness. In 2018 the shop switched to an electronic method for cataloging stock. The following year the lease in the space next door became available and Unity expanded to create a dedicated children’s bookstore under the management of Children’s Buyer, Ange Travers. In 2020 Unity Books Auckland was crowned “Best Bookstore in the World’ at The London Book Fair, recognising this sanctuary of ideas nestled in the CBD.",[],{"_8":284,"_10":285,"_286":109,"_214":287,"_37":289},"f4df362eadf4","module.singleColText","centerText",{"_10":216,"_235":236,"_237":288,"_217":218},"center",[290],{"_8":291,"_10":63,"_64":292,"_72":297,"_16":298},"2e0b2965bc91",[293],{"_8":294,"_10":68,"_69":295,"_37":296},"e874b89324970",[],"Auckland was lit and Unity offered the best guides to being in the world of books.",[],"f0",{"_8":300,"_10":231,"_232":233,"_214":301,"_203":302,"_37":305},"69ebc545e15ac6dc3861ccd12e4d185b",{"_10":216,"_235":236,"_237":238,"_217":218},{"_10":203,"_204":303},{"_106":304,"_10":104},"image-8aac296c774a191aaf19d9b0f25b7c839890d7f9-1080x720-jpg",[306,314],{"_8":307,"_10":63,"_64":308,"_72":313,"_16":151},"ee7f30747393",[309],{"_8":310,"_10":68,"_69":311,"_37":312},"d8ad423b7f340",[],"Following Auckland’s snap lockdown in 2021 Unity was only able to partially reopen and books were sold at arm's length. At a time when using a courier meant a delivery delay of weeks, staff used their own means of transport, pedalling books to hotels and driving across the city.",[],{"_8":315,"_10":63,"_64":316,"_72":321,"_16":151},"ca9f0f69fdd9",[317],{"_8":318,"_10":68,"_69":319,"_37":320},"d642e936bbe10",[],"Jo McColl took ownership of the business in 2001. From shop girl to boss girl over the years she has hired dozens and fired none..Unity has overseen romances and lifelong friendships have flourished. In a city of constant change it is still a meeting place, a refuge, an oasis on a busy street where a chance encounter with a page can still change your life.",[],{"_8":323,"_10":324,"_214":325,"_219":328},"fe0ade035d20","module.instagram",{"_10":216,"_326":327,"_217":218},"paddingBottom","small",{"_10":221,"_219":329,"_201":330,"_226":333},"Socials",{"_10":203,"_204":331},{"_106":332,"_10":104},"image-851097f797a994d8fc3888b7c96455b2925bf518-80x80-svg","Stay up-to-date with Unity Books' latest news and happenings by exploring our feed.","phone","09 307 0731",{"_10":337,"_40":338,"_203":339,"_17":341},"seo.page","Unity’s sister shop could not have found a more perfect location in Auckland.",{"_10":203,"_204":340},{"_106":241,"_10":104},"Auckland",{"_10":14,"_343":344},"current","auckland","vaultHeading",{"_10":221,"_219":347,"_201":348,"_226":350},"Auckland Vaults",{"_10":203,"_204":349},{"_106":225,"_10":104},"Explore Unity Bookstores like never before with the Vault - your go-to archive for captivating articles, events, reviews, and more!",{"_113":352,"_115":353,"_117":354,"_119":355,"_10":126,"_127":358,"_129":359,"_40":361,"_149":373,"_177":408,"_179":409,"_181":410,"_201":416,"_207":419,"_209":420,"_334":335,"_38":493,"_14":498,"_17":497,"_345":500},"2022-10-04T02:19:47Z","3539a23a-80d9-4966-9235-63e4db7c6b44","AT5O438QAeI8hCiNKSFXlS",{"_121":356},{"_123":353,"_124":357},"TgLZSHQrRrb1z6e00bCsA2","2025-08-04T01:38:07Z",[360,132],"31 Vulcan Lane",[362,376,384,393,401],{"_8":363,"_10":63,"_64":364,"_72":374,"_16":151},"2b10e7ae78da",[365,369],{"_8":366,"_10":68,"_69":367,"_37":368},"bb009cc3ee2a0",[],"Vulcan Lane, Auckland 1010\nPh. 09 307 0731\n",{"_8":370,"_10":68,"_69":371,"_37":373},"aca1d4afecc5",[372],"d7c7ccfcdbfa","kids@unitybooksauckland.co.nz",[375],{"_8":372,"_10":148,"_149":373},{"_8":377,"_10":63,"_64":378,"_72":383,"_16":92},"2d9c9853bc62",[379],{"_8":380,"_10":68,"_69":381,"_37":382},"5da11141c72f0",[],"",[],{"_8":385,"_10":63,"_64":386,"_72":392,"_16":160},"dc5422b5b6bd",[387],{"_8":388,"_10":68,"_69":389,"_37":391},"a73c5e00dced",[390],"strong","Opening hours:",[],{"_8":394,"_10":63,"_64":395,"_72":400,"_16":160},"99e2ba6c4b4e",[396],{"_8":397,"_10":68,"_69":398,"_37":399},"3c03b110965e",[],"Mon-Fri 9am – 6pm\nSat-Sun 10am – 6pm",[],{"_8":402,"_10":63,"_64":403,"_72":407,"_16":160},"9160e3d47097",[404],{"_8":405,"_10":68,"_69":406,"_37":175},"d76757e385a4",[],[],"https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/775952417/rendition/360p/file.mp4?loc=external&signature=b0d15301367082d985f7902c27c6eb7742855495e0d8dc2379ae40f657044482","https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/814115913/rendition/720p/file.mp4?loc=external&signature=ee7089c83137b63ae3a16dba0592d6e7c5e3e63882b53aaee975e2bf663e7606",[411,414],{"_8":184,"_10":185,"_186":412,"_188":413},"Mon - Fri","9am - 5pm",{"_8":191,"_10":185,"_186":415,"_188":200},"Sat - Sun",{"_10":203,"_204":417},{"_106":418,"_10":104},"image-a13b03e5496dbdcd04a54c11c1bdb109fce205fc-28x28-svg","https://goo.gl/maps/gPZn7mErH5Mcczkd8",[421,428,460,472,487],{"_8":422,"_10":213,"_214":423,"_219":424,"_126":427},"4145a45317eb",{"_10":216,"_217":218},{"_10":221,"_219":222,"_201":425,"_226":227},{"_10":203,"_204":426},{"_106":225,"_10":104},{"_106":353,"_10":104},{"_8":429,"_10":231,"_232":233,"_214":430,"_203":431,"_37":434},"7321e169b888",{"_10":216,"_235":236,"_237":238,"_217":218},{"_10":203,"_204":432},{"_106":433,"_10":104},"image-d6f94d1769478a058cba109863963c9eda8b61d0-1520x1129-jpg",[435,444,452],{"_8":436,"_10":63,"_64":437,"_72":442,"_16":443},"17b67edd9c4f",[438],{"_8":439,"_10":68,"_69":440,"_37":441},"5316e6c543d90",[],"A little History of little Unity",[],"t2",{"_8":445,"_10":63,"_64":446,"_72":451,"_16":151},"ab2a5bc3c605",[447],{"_8":448,"_10":68,"_69":449,"_37":450},"7e535295a5ae0",[],"Nestled next door to Unity Books Auckland is the small but perfectly formed little Unity, a curated treasure trove of books for children and young adults (and the child in all adults).",[],{"_8":453,"_10":63,"_64":454,"_72":459,"_16":151},"37efcc45ae8b",[455],{"_8":456,"_10":68,"_69":457,"_37":458},"16667ab6ce030",[],"Born out of a persistent pressure to grow and overflow it’s allotted space in the ‘big shop’, when the lease on the adjacent shop in High St came up, Jo saw the opportunity and not only signed the lease, but in a true show of faith in the growing children’s market, she commissioned 2 young architectural designers to do some magic. Sophie Edwards (a previous part time employee for stock takes and holiday work) and Tom Dobinson were given the task of fitting a world of children's books into a tricky corner site of only 27 sqms, 2 full walls of window, and only one wall for shelving. \n\nWhat they came up with was described perfectly on opening day by a 9 year old customer:",[],{"_8":461,"_10":285,"_286":109,"_214":462,"_37":463},"dfc7987e747d",{"_10":216,"_235":236,"_237":288,"_217":218},[464],{"_8":465,"_10":63,"_64":466,"_72":471,"_16":298},"af7b69691c86",[467],{"_8":468,"_10":68,"_69":469,"_37":470},"b7e61a50b35b0",[],"“ It's like a Tardis! It looks so small from the outside but then you walk in and you’re in another land! ”",[],{"_8":473,"_10":231,"_232":233,"_214":474,"_203":475,"_37":478},"b4d2db50a62d56abf9ee1df32c2f7c4f",{"_10":216,"_235":236,"_237":262,"_217":218},{"_10":203,"_204":476},{"_106":477,"_10":104},"image-4bdcf44542750a326a44a78937f892a3af1e08de-3469x2083-jpg",[479],{"_8":480,"_10":63,"_64":481,"_72":486,"_16":151},"b451771234f1",[482],{"_8":483,"_10":68,"_69":484,"_37":485},"79079d467dc80",[],"Into the double sided window displays went all the beautiful hardbacks that Children’s Buyer Ange Travers had been hankering after and sourcing from overseas as well as locally but had never had room to do justice. With a guiding mantra of having books that won’t be found everywhere else, and a belief that our customers want to feel the magic of those books, it wasn’t hard to make little Unity the gem that it is now known to be.",[],{"_8":488,"_10":324,"_214":489,"_219":490},"a29c0a9c45d6",{"_10":216,"_326":327,"_217":218},{"_10":221,"_219":329,"_201":491,"_226":333},{"_10":203,"_204":492},{"_106":332,"_10":104},{"_10":337,"_40":494,"_203":495,"_17":497},"Nestled next door to Unity Books Auckland is the small but perfectly formed Little Unity, a curated treasure trove of books for children and young adults.",{"_10":203,"_204":496},{"_106":433,"_10":104},"little Unity",{"_10":14,"_343":499},"little-unity",{"_10":221,"_219":501,"_201":502,"_226":504},"little Unity Vault",{"_10":203,"_204":503},{"_106":225,"_10":104},"....",{"_113":506,"_115":507,"_117":508,"_119":509,"_10":126,"_127":512,"_129":513,"_40":516,"_149":531,"_177":562,"_179":563,"_181":564,"_201":571,"_207":574,"_209":575,"_334":717,"_38":718,"_14":723,"_17":722,"_345":725},"2022-10-04T02:32:42Z","ddef34a8-2e15-4376-9a4b-04fae7ecf90d","8IdNb8jhS5j0w05Nl9xb7s",{"_121":510},{"_123":507,"_124":511},"V5dtyI87NMtAISfO5CElwU","2026-01-26T04:30:49Z",[514,515,382],"57 Willis Street","Wellington 6011",[517,532,539,547,555],{"_8":518,"_10":63,"_64":519,"_72":529,"_16":151},"b1cc1de416ac",[520,524],{"_8":521,"_10":68,"_69":522,"_37":523},"88f2ae0db3800",[],"57 Willis Street\nWellington 6011\nPh. 04 499 4245\n",{"_8":525,"_10":68,"_69":526,"_37":528},"a0e3a89106f5",[527],"edd2d1191773","wellington@unitybooks.co.nz ",[530],{"_8":527,"_10":148,"_149":531},"wellington@unitybooks.co.nz",{"_8":533,"_10":63,"_64":534,"_72":538,"_16":92},"d66128446dd1",[535],{"_8":536,"_10":68,"_69":537,"_37":382},"73bcab7b74790",[],[],{"_8":540,"_10":63,"_64":541,"_72":546,"_16":160},"f6a828b70fef",[542],{"_8":543,"_10":68,"_69":544,"_37":545},"546bc27445e8",[390],"Opening hours",[],{"_8":548,"_10":63,"_64":549,"_72":554,"_16":160},"f1ff1846e68e",[550],{"_8":551,"_10":68,"_69":552,"_37":553},"7dfb1d8f4f0e",[],"Mon-Thurs 9am-6pm\nFri 9am-7pm\nSat 10am-6pm\nSun 10am-5pm",[],{"_8":556,"_10":63,"_64":557,"_72":561,"_16":160},"2ba56086c2f7",[558],{"_8":559,"_10":68,"_69":560,"_37":175},"436fecf81eb0",[],[],"https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/775952564/rendition/360p/file.mp4?loc=external&signature=cbdad0e14f2ff55a3cea358b3176f77892738bf9ca1ebf73dbf53331f8ec8160","https://player.vimeo.com/progressive_redirect/playback/775952532/rendition/360p/file.mp4?loc=external&signature=a252975b3a130d04a27f243a87f0e5d6d981ee7750257cf5110012210ac874ed",[565,566,568,569],{"_8":184,"_10":185,"_186":187,"_188":189},{"_8":567,"_10":185,"_186":192,"_188":193},"dcc97cb739f8",{"_8":191,"_10":185,"_186":196,"_188":200},{"_8":195,"_10":185,"_186":199,"_188":570},"10am - 5pm",{"_10":203,"_204":572},{"_106":573,"_10":104},"image-40d5f99e37451db8cc027847a02dc0251ea9ceac-28x28-svg","https://goo.gl/maps/sQmMnp3uBuCbUHLaA",[576,583,614,637,649,704,710],{"_8":577,"_10":213,"_214":578,"_219":579,"_126":582},"ca960281fc15",{"_10":216,"_235":236,"_217":218},{"_10":221,"_219":222,"_201":580,"_226":227},{"_10":203,"_204":581},{"_106":225,"_10":104},{"_106":507,"_10":104},{"_8":584,"_10":231,"_232":233,"_214":585,"_203":586,"_37":589},"d569448d1e08",{"_10":216,"_235":236,"_237":238,"_217":218},{"_10":203,"_204":587},{"_106":588,"_10":104},"image-f307b534a5eb05d2ff1fd73a03cac5b514d584ed-1080x1080-jpg",[590,598,606],{"_8":591,"_10":63,"_64":592,"_72":597,"_16":151},"89c9a23a7ed4",[593],{"_8":594,"_10":68,"_69":595,"_37":596},"3bb816d17a260",[],"The Unity Books story – the start-up that aged happily – kicked off with book-loving, debate-hunger, and a strong will. Founder Alan Preston was a New Zealand rep sportsman, as well as a Philosophy, History and Accounts student who became the accounts manager at South’s Books.",[],{"_8":599,"_10":63,"_64":600,"_72":605,"_16":151},"247e0c51c789",[601],{"_8":602,"_10":68,"_69":603,"_37":604},"a0ef94cba177",[],"With the support of his father Cyril he decided to open his own shop. He placed a small ad (in keeping with the smallness of the shop within the Oxford Uni Press showrooms) in the Dominion and Evening Post announcing a new bookshop opening on Willis St.\n\nOn 6 September 1967 while giving the books another tutu on the first day, the staff - Alan and his Dad and their friend Bob Dempsey - suddenly realised they were low on classics. Grabbing a trolley, Bob raced across the Wellington CBD to a warehouse supplier and came back laden and triumphant.",[],{"_8":607,"_10":63,"_64":608,"_72":613,"_16":151},"d4c919679d58",[609],{"_8":610,"_10":68,"_69":611,"_37":612},"cc8e1167c70e0",[],"Then Unity Books grew. In the ‘70s, having made enough people happy and having moved enough books (of both the sober and radical persuasion) past the till, Unity Books moved to a bigger site on Willis St, next to Colin Morris Music.\n\nThe vibe was perfect. At the helm was Prue de Villiers, Jo Harris (now McColl) and author Nigel Cox. Alan was an accounts manager again, but with a busier floor to talk on. When that 12 year lease came up, a fatter and more radical Unity moved even further along Willis St to our 3rd site, Perrett’s corner, to the mega-glazed pink banana-shaped shop.",[],{"_8":615,"_10":231,"_232":233,"_214":616,"_203":617,"_37":620},"8f38b04058d213212c2683dcf2657a02",{"_10":216,"_235":236,"_237":262,"_217":218},{"_10":203,"_204":618},{"_106":619,"_10":104},"image-d2b5f297c0fc571868666f3b9db59f5090c8e449-1080x810-jpg",[621,629],{"_8":622,"_10":63,"_64":623,"_72":628,"_16":151},"897d5c5e505c",[624],{"_8":625,"_10":68,"_69":626,"_37":627},"d04fb6e7c2b80",[],"Meanwhile Jo and Nigel opened Unity Books Auckland. Lead vocals in Wellington were Louise Wrightson (now a poet), Marion Castree (NZ buyer still!) and Tilly Lloyd (a recovering Penguin rep). Backing vocals were (this is incomplete of course) a wide variety of authors, reviewers, academics, postmen and late hippies. There we began regular events with local and international authors and publishers and somehow kept morale during the long years of the long tail of the ’86 NZ stock-market crash.",[],{"_8":630,"_10":63,"_64":631,"_72":636,"_16":151},"701b17df038a",[632],{"_8":633,"_10":68,"_69":634,"_37":635},"f7a941ccae5e0",[],"In 1998, with several Writers and Readers festivals behind us, and notwithstanding that the staff and stock had morphed into even more radicalness, Alan agreed with then buyer Heather McKenzie to get closer to the ‘fire’ of Lambton Quay, so Unity Books moved back down Willis Street to our current site. 500 square metres seemed wildly ambitious but of course Wellington people flocked in and we did daily Olympic Gold in stock buying, reshelving, and the new frantic levels of nearly-always happy dialogue of bookselling.\n\nSo it was and so it is now, regardless of the WFC or the ebook or online imperialism (amazon in lower case please) or the shop flood. The street is withstanding. The city changes and recasts and rumbles the way beautiful cities do. And Unity’s stock and staff and public interface stayed gutsy and pleasing.",[],{"_8":638,"_10":285,"_286":109,"_214":639,"_37":640},"32c0025b06bc",{"_10":216,"_237":288,"_217":218},[641],{"_8":642,"_10":63,"_64":643,"_72":648,"_16":298},"f408e52442c6",[644],{"_8":645,"_10":68,"_69":646,"_37":647},"5c8f1759aad10",[],"\"Warm and knowledgeable bookselling service is the biggest thing; \nlaughter and community are crucial; a welcome atmosphere is everything.\"",[],{"_8":650,"_10":231,"_232":233,"_214":651,"_203":652,"_37":655},"ae9d9cf48345131e43d239cd8d6f65b7",{"_10":216,"_235":236,"_237":238,"_217":218},{"_10":203,"_204":653},{"_106":654,"_10":104},"image-05267dbf931a4c5ed003b88b1c81f02bd890dbf4-1080x1080-jpg",[656,664,672,680,688,696],{"_8":657,"_10":63,"_64":658,"_72":663,"_16":151},"9f66bbf5356c",[659],{"_8":660,"_10":68,"_69":661,"_37":662},"3fb2421b7cd60",[],"As all booksellers attest, it’s only the daily traffic of enquiring people (well OK, also some of their dogs) which produces the thrum. The events calendar is running amok, the awards arrived, the flowers are artful, the speeches are short, and the wine from the publishers is plentiful (though rarely gold medal).",[],{"_8":665,"_10":63,"_64":666,"_72":671,"_16":151},"1ff94c0770c5",[667],{"_8":668,"_10":68,"_69":669,"_37":670},"7c0fc4cd07630",[],"And the Unity armchairs are still the only armchairs in the CBD where any person can just sit and think in public without feeling any pressure that they must be industrious or buy a book. Even now with constant streaming and numbers, plenty of others are covering that for them. And deep down we all know that sooner or later the welcome sloucher will feel the call of a (for instance) tempting iwi history or Ottolenghi or Metallica bio.",[],{"_8":673,"_10":63,"_64":674,"_72":679,"_16":151},"f4289e802afb",[675],{"_8":676,"_10":68,"_69":677,"_37":678},"ff32055aa54e0",[],"Alan died in 2004 and Jo and Lawrie McColl and Tilly Lloyd took Unity on, merging Alan’s idiosyncratic mentorship with our own and the staff’s heart and bookaholism, and between us all we’ve kept Alan’s precepts alive and well: responsiveness is the thing; talking about books is a bigger thing; having galvanising stock is even bigger; warm and knowledgeable bookselling service is the biggest thing; laughter and community are crucial; a welcome atmosphere is everything.",[],{"_8":681,"_10":63,"_64":682,"_72":687,"_16":151},"75a5451c12d2",[683],{"_8":684,"_10":68,"_69":685,"_37":686},"538b6b3c14910",[],"Enjoy our space, it’s yours.",[],{"_8":689,"_10":63,"_64":690,"_72":695,"_16":151},"911005d0be43",[691],{"_8":692,"_10":68,"_69":693,"_37":694},"b4507354beb20",[],"All the best as always",[],{"_8":697,"_10":63,"_64":698,"_72":703,"_16":151},"65d3a262586d",[699],{"_8":700,"_10":68,"_69":701,"_37":702},"6c3f9a17cc010",[],"Tilly Lloyd",[],{"_8":705,"_10":324,"_214":706,"_219":707},"cec42dbd4aa2",{"_10":216,"_235":236,"_326":327,"_217":218},{"_10":221,"_219":329,"_201":708,"_226":333},{"_10":203,"_204":709},{"_106":332,"_10":104},{"_8":711,"_10":712,"_219":713,"_126":716},"106520822878","module.vaultMarquee",{"_10":221,"_219":714,"_226":715},"Unity Books Wellington Articles","Uncover a vast collection of articles at Unity Books Wellington, offering a diverse array of topics that unveil fascinating insights and boundless possibilities. Come on in and explore!",{"_106":507,"_10":104},"04 499 4245",{"_10":337,"_40":719,"_203":720,"_17":722},"The Unity Books story – the start-up that aged happily – kicked off with book-loving, debate-hunger, and a strong will.",{"_10":203,"_204":721},{"_106":654,"_10":104},"Wellington",{"_10":14,"_343":724},"wellington",{"_10":221,"_219":726,"_201":727,"_226":350},"Wellington Vault",{"_10":203,"_204":728},{"_106":225,"_10":104},"cartTotalQuantity",0,"routes/products.$handle",{"_733":734,"_896":-5,"_897":898,"_980":981,"_1324":1325,"_1326":881,"_1327":1328},"storefrontProduct",{"_735":736,"_123":737,"_738":739,"_741":742,"_17":748,"_749":42,"_750":382,"_751":752,"_40":753,"_754":755,"_758":759,"_798":799,"_807":808},"handle","hunger-artist","gid://shopify/Product/8475702821061","tags",[740],"FICTIO","options",[743],{"_744":745,"_746":747},"name","Title","values",[748],"Hunger-Artist","vendor","productType","descriptionHtml","

The whole town got involved with the hunger-artist; from day to day of his starving, people's participation grew; everyone wanted to see the hunger-artist at least once a day; on the later days there were season-ticket holders who sat for days on end in front of his little cage

Reading these stories by the master of the absurd is like entering a dreamworld in which nothing, and yet somehow everything, makes sense.

","The whole town got involved with the hunger-artist; from day to day of his starving, people's participation grew; everyone wanted to see the hunger-artist at least once a day; on the later days there were season-ticket holders who sat for days on end in front of his little cage Reading these stories by the master of the absurd is like entering a dreamworld in which nothing, and yet somehow everything, makes sense.","featuredImage",{"_756":757},"url","https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/6679/3413/files/978-0-241-74692-9.jpg?v=1761801874","variants",{"_760":761},"nodes",[762],{"_763":109,"_764":-5,"_123":765,"_203":766,"_774":775,"_780":781,"_17":748,"_784":785,"_786":787},"availableForSale","compareAtPrice","gid://shopify/ProductVariant/45266912805061",{"_767":768,"_769":770,"_123":771,"_756":757,"_772":773},"altText","A Hunger-Artist Cover Image","height",2048,"gid://shopify/ProductImage/39852484591813","width",1255,"price",{"_776":777,"_778":779},"currencyCode","NZD","amount","18.0","selectedOptions",[782],{"_744":745,"_783":748},"value","barcode","9780241746929","storeAvailability",{"_788":789},"edges",[790,795],{"_791":792},"node",{"_793":109,"_126":794},"available",{"_744":341},{"_791":796},{"_793":36,"_126":797},{"_744":722},"media",{"_760":800},[801],{"_123":802,"_203":803,"_805":806},"gid://shopify/MediaImage/30869912748229",{"_767":768,"_769":770,"_123":804,"_756":757,"_772":773},"gid://shopify/ImageSource/30869912748229","mediaContentType","IMAGE","metafields",[809,813,816,819,822,-5,825,829,-5,831,833,835,838,841,843,-5,-5,-5,846,849,852,854,-5,857,-5,860,862,-5,865,-5,867,-5,870,874,-5,875,877,-5,879,882,-5,884,887,-5,889,-5,-5,891,894,-5],{"_810":811,"_812":17,"_783":748},"namespace","bookinfo_ebility","key",{"_810":811,"_812":814,"_783":815},"author","KAFKA FRANZ",{"_810":811,"_812":817,"_783":818},"binding","PB",{"_810":811,"_812":820,"_783":821},"imprint","PENCLA",{"_810":811,"_812":823,"_783":824},"supplier_auckland","UBD",{"_810":826,"_812":827,"_783":828},"bookinfo_thorpe","supplemented","true",{"_810":826,"_812":17,"_783":830},"A Hunger-Artist",{"_810":826,"_812":814,"_783":832},"Franz Kafka",{"_810":826,"_812":834,"_783":752},"annotation",{"_810":826,"_812":836,"_783":837},"audience","Trade",{"_810":826,"_812":839,"_783":840},"publisher","Penguin Books, Limited",{"_810":826,"_812":817,"_783":842},"Trade Paper",{"_810":826,"_812":844,"_783":845},"onix_binding","Paperback",{"_810":826,"_812":847,"_783":848},"publish_date","2025-04-17",{"_810":826,"_812":850,"_783":851},"page_count","144",{"_810":826,"_812":820,"_783":853},"Penguin Classics",{"_810":855,"_812":344,"_783":856},"status","ACT",{"_810":855,"_812":858,"_783":859},"onorder_auckland","false",{"_810":855,"_812":861,"_783":859},"on_preorder",{"_810":855,"_812":863,"_783":864},"last_received_auckland","03/02/2026",{"_810":855,"_812":866,"_783":779},"price_auckland",{"_810":855,"_812":868,"_783":869},"stock_auckland","4",{"_810":871,"_812":872,"_783":873},"categories","merged","Fiction",{"_810":871,"_812":344,"_783":873},{"_810":871,"_812":876,"_783":740},"codes_merged",{"_810":871,"_812":878,"_783":740},"codes_auckland",{"_810":871,"_812":880,"_783":881},"sub_merged","FICTION",{"_810":871,"_812":883,"_783":881},"sub_auckland",{"_810":871,"_812":885,"_783":886},"main_merged","FICTION & POETRY",{"_810":871,"_812":888,"_783":886},"main_auckland",{"_810":871,"_812":890,"_783":886},"web_departments_merged",{"_810":871,"_812":892,"_783":893},"departments_merged","FIC",{"_810":871,"_812":895,"_783":893},"department_auckland","staffPick","settings",{"_899":900},"productFaq",[901],{"_8":902,"_10":903,"_904":905,"_915":916},"18de7f0938a4","module.dropdowns","copy",[906],{"_8":907,"_10":63,"_64":908,"_72":913,"_16":914},"34b5b6104e86",[909],{"_8":910,"_10":68,"_69":911,"_37":912},"fbdf4c153ea30",[390],"Conditions of purchase, deliveries & returns",[],"h1","items",[917,938,960],{"_8":918,"_10":919,"_904":920,"_219":937},"e11b9ac0a3c9","headingText",[921,929],{"_8":922,"_10":63,"_64":923,"_72":928,"_16":160},"90175698f930",[924],{"_8":925,"_10":68,"_69":926,"_37":927},"2f02508da8840",[],"If there is a fault with the publishing of the book you purchased then we can replace the book for you at no extra cost. We may need to send away for a replacement copy from the publishers, so there could be a wee wait.",[],{"_8":930,"_10":63,"_64":931,"_72":936,"_16":160},"0e887394e709",[932],{"_8":933,"_10":68,"_69":934,"_37":935},"d3a03d3cd16e0",[],"For any other return question, please email online@unitybooks.co.nz\n",[],"What is your refund policy?",{"_8":939,"_10":919,"_904":940,"_219":959},"cfe391969264",[941],{"_8":942,"_10":63,"_64":943,"_72":957,"_16":160},"203f1575c2b4",[944,948,953],{"_8":945,"_10":68,"_69":946,"_37":947},"2a857a8a1677",[],"Please contact us directly by emailing ",{"_8":949,"_10":68,"_69":950,"_37":952},"f8c6077b8006",[951],"d8624759306b","online@unitybooks.co.nz",{"_8":954,"_10":68,"_69":955,"_37":956},"e982d795c281",[],". Or you can call your closest Unity Books store: \nWellington 04 499 4245\nAuckland 09 307 0731",[958],{"_8":951,"_10":148,"_149":952},"I have faulty products, who should I contact?",{"_8":961,"_10":919,"_904":962,"_219":979},"70ac585fe889",[963,971],{"_8":964,"_10":63,"_64":965,"_72":970,"_16":160},"aee5732c0b84",[966],{"_8":967,"_10":68,"_69":968,"_37":969},"999161abc3530",[],"We offer a range of shipping options covering delivery within New Zealand and internationally. Plus pick-up in store. Shipping is calculated at checkout. \n\nFor estimated delivery times please contact the store. Store details can be found on the contact page.",[],{"_8":972,"_10":63,"_64":973,"_72":978,"_16":160},"9f372851ad8a",[974],{"_8":975,"_10":68,"_69":976,"_37":977},"e6578f2654410",[],"Thanks!",[],"What are my different shipping options?","relatedProducts",[982,1063,1153,1247],{"_123":983,"_17":984,"_735":985,"_754":986,"_807":988,"_758":1043},"gid://shopify/Product/8542199808197","Lady in the Lake","lady-in-the-lake",{"_756":987},"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/6679/3413/files/978-0-241-95632-8.jpg?v=1766718445",[989,990,992,993,995,-5,996,997,-5,999,1001,1003,1004,1005,1006,-5,-5,1007,1010,1012,1014,1016,-5,1017,-5,1018,1019,-5,1020,-5,1022,-5,1024,1026,-5,1028,1030,-5,1032,1034,-5,1036,1037,-5,1039,-5,-5,1040,1042,-5],{"_810":811,"_812":17,"_783":984},{"_810":811,"_812":814,"_783":991},"CHANDLER RAYMOND",{"_810":811,"_812":817,"_783":818},{"_810":811,"_812":820,"_783":994},"PENGUI",{"_810":811,"_812":823,"_783":824},{"_810":826,"_812":827,"_783":828},{"_810":826,"_812":17,"_783":998},"The Lady in the Lake",{"_810":826,"_812":814,"_783":1000},"Raymond Chandler; Jonathan Kellerman (Introduction by)",{"_810":826,"_812":834,"_783":1002},"Derace Kingsley's wife ran away to Mexico to get a quickie divorce and marry a Casanova-wannabe named Chris Lavery. Or so the note she left her husband insisted. Trouble is, when Philip Marlowe asks Lavery about it he denies everything and sends the private investigator packing with a flea lodged firmly in his ear. But when Marlowe next encounters Lavery, he's denying nothing - on account of the two bullet holes in his heart. Now Marlowe's on the trail of a killer, who leads him out of smoggy LA all the way to a murky mountain lake . . .",{"_810":826,"_812":836,"_783":837},{"_810":826,"_812":839,"_783":840},{"_810":826,"_812":817,"_783":842},{"_810":826,"_812":844,"_783":845},{"_810":826,"_812":1008,"_783":1009},"bic_subject","CRIME & MYSTERY; FICTION & RELATED ITEMS",{"_810":826,"_812":847,"_783":1011},"2012-02-02",{"_810":826,"_812":850,"_783":1013},"288",{"_810":826,"_812":820,"_783":1015},"Penguin UK",{"_810":855,"_812":344,"_783":856},{"_810":855,"_812":858,"_783":828},{"_810":855,"_812":861,"_783":859},{"_810":855,"_812":863,"_783":864},{"_810":855,"_812":866,"_783":1021},"26.0",{"_810":855,"_812":868,"_783":1023},"0",{"_810":871,"_812":872,"_783":1025},"Crime fiction,Fiction",{"_810":871,"_812":344,"_783":1027},"Crime fiction;Fiction",{"_810":871,"_812":876,"_783":1029},"CRIME,FICTIO",{"_810":871,"_812":878,"_783":1031},"CRIME;FICTIO",{"_810":871,"_812":880,"_783":1033},"CRIME FICTION,FICTION",{"_810":871,"_812":883,"_783":1035},"CRIME FICTION;FICTION",{"_810":871,"_812":885,"_783":886},{"_810":871,"_812":888,"_783":1038},"FICTION & POETRY;FICTION & POETRY",{"_810":871,"_812":890,"_783":886},{"_810":871,"_812":892,"_783":1041},"CRI",{"_810":871,"_812":895,"_783":1041},{"_760":1044},[1045],{"_763":109,"_764":-5,"_123":1046,"_203":1047,"_774":1051,"_780":1052,"_17":984,"_784":1054,"_786":1055},"gid://shopify/ProductVariant/45531650687173",{"_767":1048,"_769":770,"_123":1049,"_756":987,"_772":1050},"The Lady in the Lake Cover Image","gid://shopify/ProductImage/40524916654277",1334,{"_776":777,"_778":1021},[1053],{"_744":745,"_783":984},"9780241956328",{"_788":1056},[1057,1060],{"_791":1058},{"_793":109,"_126":1059},{"_744":341},{"_791":1061},{"_793":109,"_126":1062},{"_744":722},{"_123":1064,"_17":1065,"_735":1066,"_754":1067,"_807":1069,"_758":1136},"gid://shopify/Product/8366236434629","Accidental Darlings","accidental-darlings",{"_756":1068},"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/6679/3413/files/978-0-00-865760-4.jpg?v=1751508679",[1070,1071,1073,1074,-5,1076,1079,1080,-5,1081,1083,1085,1086,1088,1090,1091,-5,-5,1094,1096,-5,-5,1098,-5,1099,1101,-5,1102,-5,1105,-5,1108,1111,-5,1113,1115,-5,1117,1120,-5,1122,1125,-5,1127,1129,-5,1131,1133,-5,1134],{"_810":811,"_812":17,"_783":1065},{"_810":811,"_812":814,"_783":1072},"JEANS CRYSTAL",{"_810":811,"_812":817,"_783":818},{"_810":811,"_812":820,"_783":1075},"BOROUG",{"_810":811,"_812":1077,"_783":1078},"supplier_wellington","HEDS",{"_810":826,"_812":827,"_783":828},{"_810":826,"_812":17,"_783":1065},{"_810":826,"_812":814,"_783":1082},"Crystal Jeans",{"_810":826,"_812":834,"_783":1084},"

'Delightfully subversive, I loved it' RED

The darkly funny new novel from Polari Prize-shortlisted author Crystal Jeans, inspired in part by Dickens' Great Expectations...

It's 1924, and the village of Skimpole is full of secrets.

When Anastasia's mother dies, she must move in with 'the Aunt' - a writer, too fearsome for a first name, who lives in a dilapidated mansion with her dogs.

But mysteries abound: who wrote the raunchy love letters she discovers in the Aunt's bedroom, signed 'Big Willy'? Why do the villagers hate the Aunt so much? And how did Anastasia's father, who passed before she was born, really die?

When the Aunt's friends arrive at the house one summer, wreathed in cigarette smoke and an air of debauchery, Anastasia may be closer to finding answers - but the truth will turn her world upside down...

",{"_810":826,"_812":836,"_783":837},{"_810":826,"_812":839,"_783":1087},"HarperCollins Publishers Australia",{"_810":826,"_812":817,"_783":1089},"UK-B Format Paperback",{"_810":826,"_812":844,"_783":845},{"_810":826,"_812":1092,"_783":1093},"language","English",{"_810":826,"_812":847,"_783":1095},"2025-09-30",{"_810":826,"_812":850,"_783":1097},"336",{"_810":855,"_812":724,"_783":856},{"_810":855,"_812":1100,"_783":859},"onorder_wellington",{"_810":855,"_812":861,"_783":859},{"_810":855,"_812":1103,"_783":1104},"last_received_wellington","26/11/2025",{"_810":855,"_812":1106,"_783":1107},"price_wellington","25.0",{"_810":855,"_812":1109,"_783":1110},"stock_wellington","2",{"_810":871,"_812":872,"_783":1112},"Fiction,Queer Fiction",{"_810":871,"_812":724,"_783":1114},"Fiction;Queer Fiction",{"_810":871,"_812":876,"_783":1116},"FICTIO,QUEFIC",{"_810":871,"_812":1118,"_783":1119},"codes_wellington","FICTIO;QUEFIC",{"_810":871,"_812":880,"_783":1121},"FICTION,LGBTQIA+ FICTION",{"_810":871,"_812":1123,"_783":1124},"sub_wellington","FICTION;FICTION",{"_810":871,"_812":885,"_783":1126},"FICTION & POETRY,LGBTQIA+",{"_810":871,"_812":1128,"_783":1038},"main_wellington",{"_810":871,"_812":890,"_783":1130},"FICTION & POETRY,NON FICTION",{"_810":871,"_812":1132,"_783":1038},"web_departments_wellington",{"_810":871,"_812":892,"_783":893},{"_810":871,"_812":1135,"_783":893},"department_wellington",{"_760":1137},[1138],{"_763":109,"_764":-5,"_123":1139,"_203":1140,"_774":1144,"_780":1145,"_17":1065,"_784":1147,"_786":1148},"gid://shopify/ProductVariant/44870289752261",{"_767":1141,"_769":770,"_123":1142,"_756":1068,"_772":1143},"Accidental Darlings Cover Image","gid://shopify/ProductImage/38604967248069",1341,{"_776":777,"_778":1107},[1146],{"_744":745,"_783":1065},"9780008657604",{"_788":1149},[1150],{"_791":1151},{"_793":109,"_126":1152},{"_744":722},{"_123":1154,"_17":1155,"_735":1156,"_754":1157,"_807":1159,"_758":1227},"gid://shopify/Product/8753320984773","Women Without Men","women-without-men",{"_756":1158},"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/6679/3413/files/978-0-241-79251-3.jpg?v=1772161804",[1160,1161,1163,1165,1166,1168,1169,1170,-5,1171,1173,1175,1177,1178,1180,1181,1182,-5,1185,1187,1189,1190,1191,1192,1193,1194,1195,1197,1199,1201,1203,1204,1206,1208,1209,1211,1213,1214,1216,1217,1218,1219,1220,1221,1222,-5,1223,1224,1225,1226],{"_810":811,"_812":17,"_783":1155},{"_810":811,"_812":814,"_783":1162},"PARSIPUR SHAHRNUSH & FARROKH FARIDOUN (TRANSLATOR)",{"_810":811,"_812":817,"_783":1164},"TP",{"_810":811,"_812":820,"_783":994},{"_810":811,"_812":823,"_783":1167},"GARD",{"_810":811,"_812":1077,"_783":1167},{"_810":826,"_812":827,"_783":828},{"_810":826,"_812":17,"_783":1155},{"_810":826,"_812":814,"_783":1172},"Shahrnush Parsipur",{"_810":826,"_812":834,"_783":1174},"

Longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2026

The internationally acclaimed masterpiece from one of Iran's most influential writers - a powerful and essential tale of female freedom

'The best feminist novel I know. It's thrilling, beautiful and hilarious' Johanne Lykke Holm
'A courageous, talented woman, and above all, a great writer' Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis

Women Without Men traces the interwoven destinies of five women - including a wealthy middle-aged housewife, a sex worker and a schoolteacher - as they arrive by different paths to live together in an abundant garden on the outskirts of Tehran.

Drawing on elements of Islamic mysticism and recent Iranian history, this unforgettable novel depicts women escaping the narrow confines of family and society, and imagines their future living in a world without men.

Translated from Persian by Faridoun Farrokh

",{"_810":826,"_812":836,"_783":1176},"College Audience",{"_810":826,"_812":839,"_783":840},{"_810":826,"_812":817,"_783":1179},"UK-Trade Paper",{"_810":826,"_812":844,"_783":845},{"_810":826,"_812":1092,"_783":1093},{"_810":826,"_812":1183,"_783":1184},"original_language","Persian, Modern",{"_810":826,"_812":847,"_783":1186},"2026-03-12",{"_810":826,"_812":850,"_783":1188},"128",{"_810":826,"_812":820,"_783":853},{"_810":855,"_812":344,"_783":856},{"_810":855,"_812":724,"_783":856},{"_810":855,"_812":858,"_783":828},{"_810":855,"_812":1100,"_783":828},{"_810":855,"_812":861,"_783":859},{"_810":855,"_812":863,"_783":1196},"11/03/2026",{"_810":855,"_812":1103,"_783":1198},"06/03/2026",{"_810":855,"_812":866,"_783":1200},"43.0",{"_810":855,"_812":1106,"_783":1202},"45.0",{"_810":855,"_812":868,"_783":1023},{"_810":855,"_812":1109,"_783":1205},"1",{"_810":871,"_812":872,"_783":1207},"Fiction,Iranian Fiction",{"_810":871,"_812":344,"_783":873},{"_810":871,"_812":724,"_783":1210},"Fiction;Iranian Fiction",{"_810":871,"_812":876,"_783":1212},"FICTIO,IRAFIC",{"_810":871,"_812":878,"_783":740},{"_810":871,"_812":1118,"_783":1215},"FICTIO;IRAFIC",{"_810":871,"_812":880,"_783":881},{"_810":871,"_812":883,"_783":881},{"_810":871,"_812":1123,"_783":1124},{"_810":871,"_812":885,"_783":886},{"_810":871,"_812":888,"_783":886},{"_810":871,"_812":1128,"_783":1038},{"_810":871,"_812":890,"_783":886},{"_810":871,"_812":1132,"_783":1038},{"_810":871,"_812":892,"_783":893},{"_810":871,"_812":895,"_783":893},{"_810":871,"_812":1135,"_783":893},{"_760":1228},[1229],{"_763":109,"_764":-5,"_123":1230,"_203":1231,"_774":1235,"_780":1236,"_17":1155,"_784":1238,"_786":1239},"gid://shopify/ProductVariant/45915149369541",{"_767":1232,"_769":770,"_123":1233,"_756":1158,"_772":1234},"Women Without Men Cover Image","gid://shopify/ProductImage/41448782168261",1280,{"_776":777,"_778":1202},[1237],{"_744":745,"_783":1155},"9780241792513",{"_788":1240},[1241,1244],{"_791":1242},{"_793":109,"_126":1243},{"_744":341},{"_791":1245},{"_793":109,"_126":1246},{"_744":722},{"_123":1248,"_17":1249,"_735":1250,"_754":1251,"_807":1253,"_758":1304},"gid://shopify/Product/7976026603717","Ocean Stirrings","ocean-stirrings",{"_756":1252},"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0625/6679/3413/files/Ocean_20Stirrings.jpg?v=1718604897",[1254,1255,1257,1258,-5,1260,1261,1262,1263,1266,1268,1270,1271,1273,1274,1275,-5,-5,1276,1278,-5,-5,1280,-5,1281,1282,-5,1283,-5,1285,-5,1287,1288,-5,1290,1292,-5,1294,1296,-5,1297,1298,-5,1299,1300,-5,1301,1302,-5,1303],{"_810":811,"_812":17,"_783":1249},{"_810":811,"_812":814,"_783":1256},"COLLINS MERLE",{"_810":811,"_812":817,"_783":818},{"_810":811,"_812":820,"_783":1259},"PEEPAL",{"_810":811,"_812":1077,"_783":1167},{"_810":826,"_812":827,"_783":828},{"_810":826,"_812":17,"_783":1249},{"_810":826,"_812":1264,"_783":1265},"subtitle","A Work of Fiction in Tribute to Louise Langdon Norton Little, Working Mother and Activist, Mother of Malcolm X and Seven Siblings",{"_810":826,"_812":814,"_783":1267},"Merle Collins",{"_810":826,"_812":834,"_783":1269},"A mix of fictive narrative, letters and poetry, with episodes of great warmth, exuberant humour, drama, and heartbreak, telling a story of Louse Little. The mother of the revolutionary firebrand Malcolm X was a Grenadian woman born at the turn of the 20th century in a small rural community in a deeply colonial society where access to education had only just begun for the children of working people. She emigrated to Canada and then the USA, where she became involved in the struggle for Black civil rights led by Marcus Garvey. Within the sparse facts of Louise Langdon Norton Little' s biography, Merle Collins, the distinguished Grenadian novelist, has created a moving and deeply feminist work that gives vivid inwardness to both the heroism and tragedy of a life that involved fighting the Ku Klux Klan, discovering that male comrades in the struggle could be abusers at home, recognition of her skills as an organiser, but also a period of mental collapse that saw her incarcerated in a mental hospital until her family fought for her release.",{"_810":826,"_812":836,"_783":837},{"_810":826,"_812":839,"_783":1272},"Peepal Tree Press, Limited",{"_810":826,"_812":817,"_783":842},{"_810":826,"_812":844,"_783":845},{"_810":826,"_812":1092,"_783":1093},{"_810":826,"_812":847,"_783":1277},"2023-09-21",{"_810":826,"_812":850,"_783":1279},"396",{"_810":855,"_812":724,"_783":856},{"_810":855,"_812":1100,"_783":859},{"_810":855,"_812":861,"_783":859},{"_810":855,"_812":1103,"_783":1284},"02/06/2024",{"_810":855,"_812":1106,"_783":1286},"46.0",{"_810":855,"_812":1109,"_783":1205},{"_810":871,"_812":872,"_783":1289},"Fiction,Historical Fiction",{"_810":871,"_812":724,"_783":1291},"Fiction;Historical Fiction",{"_810":871,"_812":876,"_783":1293},"FICTIO,HISFIC",{"_810":871,"_812":1118,"_783":1295},"FICTIO;HISFIC",{"_810":871,"_812":880,"_783":881},{"_810":871,"_812":1123,"_783":1124},{"_810":871,"_812":885,"_783":886},{"_810":871,"_812":1128,"_783":1038},{"_810":871,"_812":890,"_783":886},{"_810":871,"_812":1132,"_783":1038},{"_810":871,"_812":892,"_783":893},{"_810":871,"_812":1135,"_783":893},{"_760":1305},[1306],{"_763":109,"_764":-5,"_123":1307,"_203":1308,"_774":1311,"_780":1312,"_17":1314,"_784":1315,"_786":1316},"gid://shopify/ProductVariant/43730330452165",{"_767":1309,"_769":770,"_123":1310,"_756":1252,"_772":1143},"Ocean Stirrings Cover Image","gid://shopify/ProductImage/35085136691397",{"_776":777,"_778":1286},[1313],{"_744":745,"_783":1314},"Default Title","9781845235529",{"_788":1317},[1318,1321],{"_791":1319},{"_793":36,"_126":1320},{"_744":341},{"_791":1322},{"_793":109,"_126":1323},{"_744":722},"relatedProductsCollectionUrl","/collections/shop-all?shopify_products%5BrefinementList%5D%5Bmeta.categories.sub_merged%5D%5B0%5D=FICTION","relatedProductsFirstSubCategory","city","columbus","actionData","errors"]

A Hunger-artist

by Franz Kafka