Twice Torpedoed with Colin Carruthers
The story of a NZ merchant mariner’s heroic war

Colin’s journey to uncover the life of his uncle, Colin Watt, was an exploration of love. Just 27 years old, Colin Watt was killed off the coast of Long Island, New York, in 1942 when a German U-Boat torpedoed his merchant navy freighter. Newly engaged and heading home with a diamond ring, Watt had written extensively of his romance and his battles.

Using those letters, plus Watt’s photos and archives, Carruthers had brought to life his uncle’s story in this book, revealing not only Watt’s harrowing experience as a POW and his involvement in the Battle of the River Plate, but also the fleeting romances that coloured his Merchant Maritime war.

Colin with chat with David Hedley about his uncle’s fascinating story, and the process of publishing this important piece of his family history.

5pm, Tuesday 1st September
Refreshments from 5pm, talks starts 5.30pm
Hedley’s Books, 150 Queen Street, Masterton
Free event – all welcome

Elizabeth Cox: Mr Ward’s Historic Wellington Map
Hosted by Science Wairarapa

Wellington historian and author Elizabeth Cox will join Science Wairarapa’s monthly meet, to talk about a remarkable map of Wellington made in 1891 by surveyor and engineer Thomas Ward.

Ward’s map recorded the footprint of every building, from Thorndon in the north and across the teeming, inner-city slums of Te Aro to Berhampore in the south.

Cox’s beautiful award-winning book, Mr Ward’s Map, uses this giant map and historic images to tell marvellous stories about a vital capital city, its neighbourhoods and its people at the turn of the twentieth century.

Join Science Wairarapa for what will be a fascinating deep dive into Wellington’s colourful history.

7.30pm, Monday 14 September
REAP House, 340 Queen Street, Masterton
$5 Door charge on the night

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.

Next Book Club:
Wednesday 9th September 2026

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

Featherston Booktown Karukatea

Featherston Booktown has become one of the highlights of New Zealand’s literary events calendar. Held in May each year, the town of Featherston transforms into a booklover’s paradise. Author talks, workshops, panel discussions and bookish events for all ages are held in a range of quirky venues.

The festival is centred around the glorious Featherston Anzac Hall, which is also home to the famous Bookseller’s Marquee where you’ll find us, Hedley’s Books – Featherston Booktown’s Official Festival Bookseller.

Featherston Booktown Karukatea
May 2027
Featherston, Wairarapa

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.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated in 2025! The books were delivered to the Wairarapa Women’s Refuge on 18th December

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.

The Wairarapa Bookshop Hop will back on NZ Bookshop Day October 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.