The 19th Annual Tauranga Harbour City Lions Book Fair – which launches at Tauranga Racecourse next Friday – had modest beginnings. Think of a street stall peddling cakes, sausage rolls and asparagus rolls.
Then the Lions stepped up with jams, marmalade and lemon honey brewed at night in an aged care kitchen to be given away as a treat with Meals on Wheels.
In 2007, it became a book fair beneath an orchard packhouse in Tauriko.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said Wendy Payne, a veteran of that first Lions’ Book Fair. “People and cars were lined up in the drive at 8 o’clock on Saturday morning. I didn’t know what to do with the beggars!”
That was a humble outing by comparison, according to Lioness Christine Currie. She was there for that first sale too. “We took just $1555.60. But we were delighted.”
And all that money was returned to the community in grants. Cure Kids, Diabetes Youth, Cystic Fibrosis, Autism and other deserving groups – gifts of $200 here, $500 there.
As it has every year since. And Currie was still a driving force.
“There’s been phenomenal growth. Last year we took $62,000.”
So the Lions Book Fair has grown more than 40 times during its 18-year tenure. And along the way, it had provided a lifeline for people and groups needing a hand up.
40,000 books, 900 jigsaws
Of course, it has also made very affordable books available to those who love burying their nose in a good read. For example – there’s a copy of Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 with a RRP of $29.99. At the Lions Book Fair, $3 will buy a copy.
Everything costs $3-$8
The book fair had also become the place to buy a distraction for the dissectologists, or puzzlers, who enjoy making sense of 1000-plus pieces of jigsaw.
1000 banana boxes
The 1000 banana boxes of donated titles also said something about the sustainability of a good book – they keep going round, from one appreciative reader to another. They keep giving until they can’t – until they fall apart.
Most popular authors (sidehead)
According to the book fair team, there are some sought-after authors at the sale. The most popular scribes are Michael Connelly, Kathy Reichs, Lucinda Riley, Harlen Coben, Clive Cussler and John Grisham.
The Lions expect to exceed last year’s take of $62,000.
“We have so many more books and puzzles this year,” said Currie.
Tauranga Harbour City Lions’ 19th Annual Book Sale is at Tauranga Racecourse in Greerton next Friday, November 7, and Saturday, November 8, from 9am-5pm daily; and Sunday, November 9, from 9am-3pm. Books that don’t sell at the fair will be passed on to a fair in Ōpōtiki.