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About Us

Welcome to Books & Books

Books & Books are all about books – and people, both big and small! We are a vibrant, independently owned, community minded book business. We have access to key publishing houses so we’re always up to date with the latest releases and book trade events.

Books & Books opened a shop in April 2006 and we’ve never looked back! In 2013 we were voted SA’s Best Independent Trade Bookseller at the annual book trade Sefika Awards. While we no longer have a retail space, we are still passionate about books and promoting a love of reading!

Books & Books is the brain-child of Janine O’Connor and is the realisation of a dream to open a children’s bookshop. Since she also loves historical fiction, thrillers, and is a sports fanatic, she decided to stock adult books too!

We operate from Durban, supplying customers throughout KwaZulu-Natal.

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Functions and Events

Functions and events are an important part of our business, whether it be hosting book launches with authors, or taking authors and illustrators to schools to mesmerise the children, or hosting Book Club evenings (South African Book Clubs are unlike elsewhere in the world!), or supporting speakers at business events.

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Community Projects

We have been very fortunate to be involved in a number of community library projects which have enabled us to source the very best books, for previously disadvantaged schools, which have made a huge difference to the kids in the community.

Meet the Team
janine-oconnor
Janine O’Connor
Owner

My love of books started with my Mum and older brothers reading stories to me before I could read, but it was my wonderful primary school librarian, Mrs de St Pern who turned me into a voracious reader! I would read anything – Dr Seuss, Enid Blyton, Willard Price, Ian Serralier, but particularly enjoyed adventure and historical novels.

I also enjoyed non – fiction books. I begged my Mum for my first atlas when I was about eight and have collected them ever since!! I had the dream to open a bookshop since 1990, when I decided to join the book trade. I worked in Johannesburg in sales & marketing for HarperCollins, Jonathan Ball Publishers, and finally Penguin South Africa.  I opened Books & Books in Durban North in April 2006.

natalie-wessels
Natalie Wessels
Avid Reader

Natalie has had an avid love of books and literature since her childhood, and like Janine, was influenced by her parents’ reading habits as a child, which encouraged a love for popular authors such as Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton. Her favourite genres are adult drama, suspense, and crime fiction, with a smattering of classics, and above all, anything thought-provoking, heart-wrenching, and topical!

Natalie graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2019 from the
IIE’s Varsity College and pursued her Honours degree in English Studies at University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in the same year. During her Honours year, Natalie began working for Books & Books, and has future plans for a career in editing, academia and research, or even one day writing a novel of her own.

KIND WORDS

Hilton College’s library has enjoyed an excellent relationship with Books & Books since 2011. Despite operating from Durban, Janine makes the long drive to Hilton on a weekly basis to offer us a carefully chosen selection of appropriate books. Even better, she is knowledgeable and passionate about books and reading. Books & Books have supported our reading projects, school conferences, library, and textbooks supply. We highly recommend them.

Mandy Dunford

Librarian at Hilton College

Books & Books’ customer care is exceptional. They bring a thoughtfully chosen selection of books to the library every week, many of which they have read, which makes choosing from the overwhelming selection of books on the market that much easier. According to our finance department, Books & Books are efficient and very pleasant to work with. Janine and her team have provided our school with a most valuable service over the years, and we wish them all the best for the future.

Sally Howes

Head of Media at Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High
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