Story: Waikato region

Paul’s Book Arcade was a Hamilton institution for decades, selling a wide range of books including, from 1945, its own publications. That year Blackwood and Janet Paul began publishing books by local and national authors, including John Mulgan, Maurice Duggan, Frank Sargeson and Hone Tuwhare. Listen to Jeannette Ward, a former manager of the shop, talk about the international reputation Paul’s Book Arcade had won by the 1950s.

Transcript

And also in those days very few publishers came out because they would make a point of coming out, they'd go to Australia and then would come over and see us and Blackwood would be one of the people that they made a point of seeing because they considered it one of the best bookshops not only in New Zealand but one of the good bookshops in the world. Sir Stanley Unwin said that. And it was recognised as a very good bookshop.