A DOG FOR EVERYONE: AUTHOR’S UPCOMING TIMARU VISIT

For every person there is a dog, author Ruth Shaw says.

In fact, the dogs of all shapes and sizes that visit her three bookshops in Manapōuri, in the far south of New Zealand, have inspired her latest book, with Shaw to visit Timaru and Lake Takapō/Tekapo next week.

Her visit coincides with the release of Bookshop Dogs, a collection of stories she has written about the dogs she has met – an idea that came to her in the middle of the night when she did her best thinking, she said.

Following the success of her first book, The Bookseller at the End Of The World, Shaw knew she would be asked for a second book.

“I was lying in bed one night and thought ‘why don’t I do about dogs?,’’ Shaw said.

“I got up and over two days wrote 2000 words.’’

She sent it off to her publisher with a note ‘this is my next book’.

“She [her publisher] said ‘yes, yes, yes – write it’.’’

The result is a wonderful collection of local dogs, holiday house dogs, travelling dogs – many with great stories, be they funny, sad, strange, bemusing, quirky or sweet.

And woven throughout the book are tales of Shaw’s own special dog, Hunza, who worked with troubled teens and Shaw when she was a youth worker.

“So many dogs come to my bookshops and that gave me the idea to write about them,’’ she said.

“Many books have been written about dogs, such as Quake Dogs by Laura Sessions, How to Walk a Dog by Mike White and Good Dogs Don’t Make it to the South Pole by Hans-Olav Thyvold.

“These are just three must-reads.’’

She said bookshops also often featured in great books, and with five books on her bookshelf about bookshops, she thought ‘why not a combination of the two?’

And it was as she began writing the book that she realised many bookshops had dogs.

“Isn’t it great,’’ Shaw said.

“I never realised.’’

Shaw said there were other dogs that could have been included in her book, but she wanted a cross-section of canines.

“I did ask a couple of people who didn’t want to feature.

“There was a little dog, in the acknowledgements at the back of the book, who occasionally turns up at the bookshop.

“I don’t know her name, but I would love to find out her story.’’

Shaw is looking forward to her Timaru visit on October 31, remembering her trips to the town as a young girl with her grandmother.

“We’d stay for three to four days, and I usually only drive through Timaru now.’’

Her Timaru visit, hosted by Timaru Booksellers, will include a book signing session at the shop, followed by a talk at Hector Black’s at 5.30pm.

“If people want their books signed please bring them.’’

Shaw hopes to meet as many dogs as possible during her visit.

“There is a dog for everyone. There definitely is.’’

She said dogs choose people, saying they had a “much better instinct’’ than humans.

She will also visit Lake Tekapo the following day, at 7pm at the town’s community hall.

Bookshop Dogs was released on Tuesday, and at its launch in Te Anau, the book’s subjects would walk a red carpet to the event.

“It’s either going to be total chaos or absolutely brilliant,’’ she said.

Shaw said it was important to meet the readers of her stories, as they were “so important’’.

And while her first book was a huge success, Shaw has no idea why.

It was bought by 20,000 New Zealanders when it was published last year, and has been translated into Italian, Dutch, Turkish, German, Swedish and Chinese.

“I think so many women have written about abuse, abuse of all kinds,’’ Shaw said.

“I really didn’t expect it to touch so many people…’’