BILL NOBLE, MANAGER OF THE UNIVERSITY BOOK SHOP, OTAGO, AND ICONIC BOOK INDUSTRY FIGURE, ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT

After 34 years as Manager of the University Book Shop, Dunedin, Bill Noble is to stand down. The announcement of his retirement coincides with his sixtieth birthday. Hugely respected for his knowledge of New Zealand and international literature Bill is a former Booksellers’ councillor and a major book trade identity. Under his management the University Book Shop developed to become Dunedin’s classic bookshop and one of the largest independent bookshops in the country.

‘After a wonderful thirty four years, and with my sixtieth birthday fast approaching, I have concluded that the time is right for me to retire,’ Bill said.

Well regarded for his depth of experience, finesse and expertise, his departure from the trade is going to leave a gap:

"Bill Noble has been a fixture of the New Zealand book scene for over 40 years. His knowledge and insights have made him a favourite for publishers to speak to when looking for a bookseller view, and his experience will be sadly missed in the industry.” –Kevin Chapman, Chair of the Publishers Association of New Zealand

Bill is originally from Winnipeg, Canada. His father was a librarian; following the end of his career in libraries, he sold secondhand books. Bill first worked at Duthie Books in Vancouver. Then, in a trajectory familiar to many Kiwis, he set out on his big OE, arriving in New Zealand in 1971. He never intended to stay. One thing led to another, he worked for Whitcombe and Tombs and then the University Bookshop in Auckland. In 1978 he moved to Dunedin to take up the position as new Manager of the University Book Shop. He was 25 years old.

The Dunedin bookshops, at that time, were territorial and believed the UBS should focus on selling textbooks. Bill had other ideas. While retaining textbooks as a core part of the business he set about deepening and broadening the general books section of the shop:

“He took no time at all in making his plans very clear to Dunedin’s longstanding bookshop owning burghers; he would, ‘’see them off’’.  How prophetic.  Now after thirty-plus years of exceptional service, the Sherriff of Bookselling in Dunedin has hung up his star…”  - Paul Greenberg, Veteran Publishers’ Representative and co-owner of Greene Phoenix Marketing

General books now make up about two thirds of the overall total of stock. As the UBS developed to become a book shop of choice for the serious reader, Bill’s savvy business instinct and appreciation of the local market continued to extend the shop’s reach.

“Bill must be recognised as one of the most significant figures in New Zealand bookselling. He was innovative and imaginative in building a bookshop aimed at a broad range of customers. In the late 70’s and early 1980’s Bill actively established contacts with sources of supply such as Book People in US to bring in stock both bargain priced and specialist books that no one else was yet on to.”  - Bob Ross, Publishing Consultant and formerly Founder and Managing Director Tandem Press.

In the early 80s he set up the non-stop book sale room on the first floor of the shop – a sale room with a difference, the books are all new. With up to 5000 titles on offer, all heavily discounted, the sale room is a haven for bibliophiles; a bargain hunter’s delight. Throughout Bill’s reign customers in the sale room have been serenaded with opera and classic music breaking in waves through the open door of his office. His passion for opera in particular is renowned.

Bill comes from a generation of booksellers who are booksellers, not retailers; booksellers who promote and support the cultural value of books. He has said of his approach to book selling at the UBS:

‘We gamble on new and little-known authors; on titles ranging from the quaint to the outrageous, from the breathtakingly beautiful to the powerful and disturbing. To stock and sell just one copy of a book of real quality gives us as much pleasure as watching the latest bestseller fly off our shelves.’

The huge, eclectic selection in the shop is one mark of distinction. In tandem with this, Bill’s thorough appreciation that his staff are the lifeblood has been reflected in the array of talented, often unconventional employees: Poets Peter Olds and David Howard, journalist Chris Trotter, historian Paul Star, artist Katy Buess and booksellers like Jan Stroud, Bronwyn Wylie-Gibb and Niki Ward (now at Vic Books).  Bill liked to be seen as an employer of good booksellers - his

“ …leadership, knowledge and ability to allow staff to use their common sense is reflected in the much-loved institution it (the book shop) clearly is.” – Gillian Newman, bookseller, University Book Shop, Christchurch.

Board member and spokesperson for the book shop’s board of directors, Rachel Brooking, thanked Bill for

“his wonderful work over the years that has led to the UBS establishing a nationwide reputation as one of the country's best bookshops. Bill’s stature in the trade and his contributions not only to UBS but to the book-selling industry New Zealand wide will make filling his shoes a difficult task.”

When asked about future plans, Bill said:

“I have the luxury of a bit of time to think about it, but my first inclination is to do something in the field of adult literacy.” 

All of the staff at the University Book Shop wish Bill well. He will be greatly missed.

Footnote
More about Bill from a 2008 article. Which by the way is where I got the above photo pf Bill.