Howick Rotary launched BOOKARAMA at the turn of the century. In that time, millions of books, puzzles, games, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and LPs donated by the community have found new homes and generated over $650,000 for our community. This supports local and international projects that help needy families, improve the environment, support heritage, help young people, provide disaster relief and assist numerous community events.
BOOKARAMA is an annual four-day event held in the second week of the October school holidays at the Howick College Gymnasium in Howick from Thursday through to Sunday. Bookarama attracts all-comers from far and wide, including individuals, families, collectors and dealers who are looking for educational and entertainment items.
BOOKARAMA kicks off with Early Bird Entry on Thursday afternoon. A donation is requested for priority entry, which attracts dealers from all over New Zealand looking for collectables and books of value.
Dealers and collectors are among the early bird hunters eagerly looking for gems. For example, one couple who specialise in cookbooks turn BOOKARAMA into a holiday, driving all the way from Christchurch to Auckland and returning home with a car loaded up with new stock to sell.
BOOKARAMA is a massive community project and involves specialist evaluation of older books. Some real gems have been found; one year, a book donated was Sir Douglas Mawson’s journal. Mawson, an Australian, was an expedition leader to the Antarctic. Mawson’s Huts Replica Museum in Hobart, Australia, now proudly displays the journal.