McLeods Booksellers owners David Thorp, Lynne Jones sell up and retire

After 40 years and collectively reading more than 8000 books, the owners of McLeods Booksellers are retiring.

David Thorp and his wife Lynne Jones are looking forward to spending more time with their family, as they leave behind a business that has been in the Thorp family for 55 years.

Prue des Forges, who has worked part-time at McLeods Booksellers for the past 18 months, is the new owner.

"We're really pleased that it's staying in local hands," Thorp said.

Speaking to the Rotorua Daily Post, Thorp said his father, Trevor, bought the store in 1967 from its original owner Ken McLeod.

Thorp joined the business in the late 1970s and eventually took over its management in 1982.

McLeods Booksellers former owners Lynne Jones and David Thorp pictured in 2019. Photo / Stephen Parker

Since then, McLeods Booksellers has moved to several different locations in Rotorua.

On September 27, it opened at its new location at 1105 Pukuatua St after the landlord of the building sold it to new owners. The new landlords are planning to develop it into one-bedroom apartments.

Reflecting on his career, Thorp said a huge part of the reason McLeods Booksellers still existed was because of support from Māoridom.

"We've survived where so many book shops have failed by specialising particularly in Māori books."

Asked how many books he had read, Thorp said a huge privilege of being a bookseller was being given advance copies from publishers.

"I would have read ... on average two books a week over my career."

McLeods Booksellers has been in the Thorp family since 1967. Photo / Andrew Warner

Across a 40-year career, this equalled about 4160 books.

Thorp's wife, Lynne Jones, said she had also read a "huge" number of books and would "easily" be in the thousands. She said she would be "about the same" as Thorp.

She wished Des Forges all the best and hoped it would continue as a successful business.

"It's certainly an emotional wrench now letting go of it. I've got really mixed feelings now that we've finally sold it.

"It's just played such an important part in our lives and just been an amazing place to work all these years."

Prue des Forges is the new owner of McLeods Booksellers. Photo / Ben Fraser

New owner Prue des Forges said she felt "very privileged" to lead the iconic book shop into a new chapter.

"Working part-time in the shop for the last 18 months, I have been, and continue to be, constantly amazed at the 'destination' shop McLeods is – not only do we have a loyal group of book lovers within the Rotorua community, but from all over the country."

She said people told her every day when they visited Rotorua that McLeods was a "must do".

Des Forges said she was lucky to inherit "fantastic and knowledgeable staff" who were avid readers and shared their passion with customers.

"We are an eclectic group of readers, which makes us a great team. This is a two-way street though – every day we learn from our customers, what books they love and why. This, of course, makes my reading list even longer.

"So, the next chapter in the story of McLeods begins – new owner, new shop, but the same great books and the same great staff – it's exciting to be a part of it."

McLeods Booksellers manager Jemma Morrison said Des Forges was a "passionate book lover".

"People will know her face, especially if they come in to shop on the weekends."

Morrison said it was a "momentous occasion" as the business ownership changed hands after being in the same family for 55 years.

"It is the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one."