Meet author Olivia Spooner

Join bestselling author, Olivia Spooner for a book signing and short discussion on her new novel, The American Boys.

Olivia’s previous books, The Girl from London and Songbirds of Florence, have been adored by readers who love sweeping sagas full of history and romance.

About The American Boys
1942 in Wellington, and the war has never felt closer. The story follows Lorna, her family and the American boys navigating life in wartime Wellington, the war itself is never far, and its consequences will find them no matter where they go…

Olivia’s books will be available to purchase and have signed on the night.

5.30pm–6pm Thursday 30th October
Hedley’s Books, 150 Queen St, Masterton
Free book signing

RSVP by email to sales@hedleysbooks.co.nz, text 0272816421 or call 06 3782875

No Words for This: An evening with Ali Mau

From the age of twelve, Ali Mau wanted to be a journalist like her father. He was a beer-swilling, straight-talking Aussie who was rough around the edges but could quote passages of Hamlet at will.

Ali built a glittering career and became a media darling – until an unexpected call from her sister brought her professional and personal lives crashing together with devastating force.

Join us for an intimate evening with Ali Mau as she discusses her “gripping, revelatory, generous and layered’ new memoir, in conversation with Melody Thomas.

In partnership with our friends at Featherston Booktown and with thanks to HarperCollins NZ.

7pm–8pm Friday 14th November
The Royal Hotel, 22 Revans St, Featherston
Tickets $21 + booking fees (through Eventfinda only)

Hedley’s Book Club

Booklovers unite! Be welcomed into a community of readers, experience the cosy magic of the bookshop after hours and be inspired by the latest book recommendations from Sue Reid.

What to expect

Arrive for a 5.30pm start. Grab a drink and a nibble as Sue shares updates from the world of books. Then she’ll dive in with her review of that month’s Book Club selections to kick off a wider bookish korero. Read the selections in advance OR simply come along for some ‘To be Read’ pile inspiration.

See the full list of books we’ve been reading here.

Afterwards, the store will be open for you to chat, browse and buy books.

Upcoming dates
5.30pm Wednesday 12th November *Top 10 Books of the Year & Christmas Party*
Summer break in December and January

Hedley’s Books, 150 Queen St, Masterton
Tickets $10. Includes refreshments and 10% off purchases

Wairarapa Bookshop Hop

The ultimate book-lovers weekend out! Grab a Passport and hop around the Wairarapa’s 13 bookshops to discover their treasures.

Collect a stamp from each store you visit and make a purchase from. Each stamp is an entry into the prize draw to win a share of $1000 of Book Vouchers! Plus there will be a $200 prize for the best photo taken on the day. Use #nzbookshopday and #wairarapabookshophop to enter your photos.

Visit Hedley’s and…
– Spend over $80 to receive a $10 Thank You Gift Card to spend on your next purchase!
– Find the Libro.FM Golden Ticket hidden in our shelves to win a year’s supply of Audiobooks!
– Choose two Penguin published books to collect the cutest Petite Personal Penguin figurine!

The Wairarapa Bookshop Hop is happening on NZ Bookshop Day this 11th October 2025

Kiwi Christmas Books

We’ve been supporting the charity, Kiwi Christmas Books as a donation point since 2020. Together, we collect brand new books for children of all ages to gift to Kiwi kids doing it tough at Christmas.

Support this amazing cause by dropping new books into our Masterton store, purchasing them in-store or online using the ‘Add to the Kiwi Christmas Kids donation box’ shipping option.

We’ll start collecting donations for the Wairarapa Women’s Refuge for Christmas from November 2025.

Featherston Booktown Karukatea

We were proud to be Featherston Booktown’s Official Festival Bookseller again in 2025 – a particular special year as they celebrated their 10th Anniversary.

Shoppers in the Booksellers Marquee were able to purchase every available book from the attending authors (and get it signed too!) from us. You can browse some of the books here.

We look forward to seeing you at Featherston Booktown in May 2026.

Next Featherston Booktown Karukatea
May 2026

Yarns in Barns: Wairarapa Festival of Reading

A celebration of stories and the joy of printed books. Running every two years, Yarns in Barns features author talks on subjects from farming to fiction, art to cooking, true crime to children’s stories.

With each event hosted in a unique venue from Masterton to Martinborough, it is also a celebration of our region’s diverse community – old historic courthouses, woolsheds, libraries, a bookstore and of course a barn!

Thanks for joining us in 2024. The next festival will be in October 2026.