Prince Harry’s book Spare: More than 100 holds at Tauranga libraries

All 19 print copies of Prince Harry's memoir, Spare, ordered by Tauranga's libraries are on loan, with a long waiting list. Photos / Talia Parker / Andrew Warner

More than 100 people are waiting to borrow Prince Harry’s controversial memoir from Tauranga’s libraries - the highest demand for a book in recent memory.

A librarian says pre-launch spoilers have only increased demand, while one swift local reader has already formed her opinion of the Duke of Sussex’s book, which went on sale in New Zealand on Wednesday.

Many of the explosive revelations in Spare had already made headlines thanks to online leaks, some booksellers in Spain releasing it early, and four interviews by the royal ahead of the official launch.

But many Kiwis still want to read it for themselves.

Michelle Sims, content team leader for Tauranga City Libraries - which covers the mobile, Tauranga, Greerton, Mount Maunganui, and Pāpāmoa libraries - said it ordered 15 copies of the regular print version, which had 85 holds as of Thursday afternoon.

“We’ve ordered four copies of the large print version and there are 23 holds on those and two copies of the audiobook version and there are four holds on those.”

It would also order the e-book versions but these would not come out until April, she said.

Prince Harry's new book, Spare, has been flying off the shelves. Photo / Andrew Warner

“I would say this is one of the largest levels of demand for a specific title that I can recall. We normally get a lot of demand for Lee Child ... and Lucinda Riley of The Seven Sisters series has been another one that we’ve had a lot of interest in.

Michelle Obama’s 2018 book Becoming also had a lot of interest, she said.

“But this is a very high amount of interest in one title for us, certainly.”

Sims said the spoilers that started coming out in the media last week had increased demand for the book and piqued people’s interest.

On January 5, it had about 30 holds on the regular print versions with 10 copies on order.

“But by Monday... we had, I think, about 65 holds by Monday so we ordered five more copies.

“Since then, it continues to grow.”

Michelle Sims from Tauranga Libraries, pictured in 2018. Photo / File

Readers hiring the regular print version would need to pay $3 to borrow it for two weeks, as it was a “top title”.

“Those people who are getting it now will have no opportunity to renew - they’ll have to read it in the two weeks because there’s a massive holds list ... they’d only be able to renew if somebody was not waiting for it.

“So people are going to have to have a pretty quick turnaround,” she said with a laugh.

Paper Plus Bethlehem owner-operator Donna Gardner said sales had been going “really well” to the point it had sold out and still had orders waiting.

Gardner said she had already read the book which was “very well written” and she believed showed Prince Harry and his wife Meghan’s “love-hate relationship” with the media.

“They can’t even step out of the front door without doing their hair right. He’s just trying to get his side of the story out there just to say, look, leave us alone and let us get on with our lives.

“I really enjoyed it and I am looking forward to seeing what they get up to next because, at the end of the day, they are trying to make a difference.”

Paper Plus Mount Maunganui sales assistant Bailey Hocking said pre-sales for the book had been “crazy”.

“It was quite unexpected but brilliant, and since we got it in on Wednesday morning it’s just been flying out.

“We had a second delivery [on] Wednesday afternoon and even that is racing out as well.”

Owner of McLeods Booksellers Prue des Forges. Photo / Ben Fraser

In Rotorua, McLeods Booksellers owner Prue des Forges said the popularity of the book had been “much as expected”.

“We only have six left on the shelves with more on order,” she said on Thursday.

Des Forges said it had six pre-orders, all of whom picked up their copy on release day.

It was mostly female readers who were buying the book, she said.

“Harry seems to be quite a polarising figure - the young ‘millennials’ seem very sympathetic towards him and older ‘royalists’ feel he is being disloyal, just out to make a quick buck.

“Like him or loathe him though, everyone wants to read the book, probably to re-enforce their already formed opinions —whether they admit it or not.”

Des Forges said most people had also commented on the price. Its recommended retail price was $65.

“We are selling it for $59.99 in line with most other retailers.”

Tauranga’s Books A Plenty owner Sheree Brown said it was not stocking Spare.

“The reason is is the publishing house actually required you to purchase it in carton quantities to have it here for the release date. So for an independent bookstore, that’s actually quite a large number of books.”

Brown said that by Thursday afternoon two people had come in and asked for the book.