Ever been curious about the other BDS book groups in your area? After 50 years of operation, BDS now serve 1,330 book clubs across New Zealand. While we'd love to celebrate with every one of them in person, the next best thing is to help bring our members together, to meet, chat, and raise a toast to BDS for our golden anniversary!
Your book group can:
How it works:
- Decide on a day, time and general location for your Mixer. You can hold your mixer anytime between now and 31 August. You can choose a venue at this stage, or you may like to wait and see what your numbers are like before committing to a particular space.
- Register your event with BDS.
- BDS will notify all the groups in your surrounding area of your event, and list it on our website.
- Groups (and individuals) will RSVP to attend your event using the contact details you provide in your registration.
- Hold your event and (this next bit is important) record a video or snap a photo of everyone wishing BDS a Happy Birthday so we can share it on the big screen at our official 50th anniversary event in Christchurch in September (this event will also be livestreamed around NZ, so all our BDS groups will have the opportunity to see your message).
Your event could be a morning tea at your local community centre with each group bringing a plate to share, or grabbing coffee at a local café. You might combine it with another outing, to a local attraction, gallery, show, library or bookstore. We encourage you to think outside the box! But ideally your event would be free or low-cost to attend (e.g. the price of a coffee) so as many people as possible can participate.
This is chance to meet fellow book lovers, and hear about their book clubs. It's also your chance to celebrate with us by capturing a moment from your event to share with BDS in honour of our 50th anniversary!
Register your event with us now, or keep an eye out on your inbox — we'll let you know if and when a mixer is taking place near you. All events will also appear here on our website.
Questions? email
Northland
|
Ngunguru / Tutukaka |
Sat 6 July |
We'd like to join with other local BDS groups and celebrate 50 years of BDS together.
RSVP to: Jenny Caston (WHANG 003)
Auckland
|
Warkworth |
Wed 19 June |
Mix and mingle at our local bar.
RSVP to: Anne Cooney (WARK 006)
|
Pukekohe |
Sat 3 August |
Join us for a shared lunch to celebrate 50 years of BDS. Come prepared to discuss some of your favourite BDS book titles.
Please RSVP by June 30 so we can confirm the venue.
RSVP to: Vanessa Ball (PUKEKO 001)
Waikato
|
Putāruru |
Sat 24 August |
Lunch or afternoon tea with our members supplying food and everyone bringing a favourite book.
RSVP to: Sue Heslop (PUTAR 001)
Bay of Plenty
|
Mount Maunganui |
Mon 15 July |
Meet, mix and mingle.
RSVP to: Ailsa Gribben (TAUR 028) "Bookworms"
07 575 3832
|
Rotorua |
Wed 3 July |
To celebrate with other Rotorua BDS book clubs we will mix and mingle at McLeods Bookshop downtown. We will enjoy nibbles and bubbles, for this gathering of booklovers, with plenty of books to peruse, discuss and purchase too.
RSVP to: Heather Vail "Rosie's Rotorua Book Club"
Hawke's Bay
|
Napier |
Sat 24 August |
Drinks and a meet and greet at Crab Farm Winery. Event platters can be ordered but must be done immediately as kitchen staff leave at 3pm.
RSVP to: Lesley Harkison (NAP 032)
07 575 3832
|
Hastings |
Sun 30 June |
Join us for Sunday afternoon tea/wine and platters. Please bring something for the platter and your choice of drink. Would love to meet other groups from Hastings or Havelock North area to celebrate 50 years of BDS.
RSVP to: Sharon Wrigley (HAST 006)
Wellington
|
Wellington |
Sat 22 June |
A gathering with coffee and a nibble so that local book group people can meet one another and share their love of reading and the books they've read.
RSVP to: Judy McCormack (WELL 130)
Tasman/Marlborough
|
Nelson |
Thu 27 June |
Let's get together at The Vic!
RSVP to: Caroline Smith (NELS 065)
|
Blenheim |
Wed 10 Jul |
Our bookclub has two suggestions for meeting with other clubs in our area to mark BDS’s 50th anniversary.
The first is to meet at the home of one of our members who lives in the Awatere Valley at 7:30 pm on Wednesday 10 July. This is our scheduled book club meeting for July. If there is a book club in the nearby community of Seddon, we thought that club could join ours for that evening’s meeting.
The second suggestion is to meet on the same date at the Astrolabe Winery/Wine bar in Blenheim. The Winery is owned by a member of our group. The time would be agreed with the Winery closer to the date and would most likely be a mid-afternoon time which is likely to be an off-peak time for the Winery. This venue would work well if there are several groups to meet together. Either event would be around 3 hours duration.
RSVP to: Vivienne Boyle (BLENH 011)
Christchurch
|
Christchurch |
Thu 18 July |
A relaxed meet and greet in the upstairs space of Smoke 'n' Barrel. Full bar and BBQ menu available. Some light snacks will be provided for free by the owner :)
RSVP to: Renee Blackburn (CHCH 487)
Otago
|
Queenstown |
Wed 26 June |
Drop in for coffee and chat at the café in the Queenstown Country Club Clubhouse, to meet members of our book group an and swap details of how other clubs organise their meetings.
The entrance is actually off Howards Drive, about 100m on the right after turning off Ladies Mile.
Once inside the entrance, drive down First Ave a few hundred metres and park in one of the carparks on either side of the Club House, the large building on the right. Please RSVP by 19 June.
RSVP to: Justine Cranfield (QUEEN 006)