Guest Speaker: Warwick Jordan 

By Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature | Posted:

Creative Cities Southern Hui warmly welcomes WARWICK JORDAN as guest speaker. Warwick will be opening the Hui for the Centre for the Book: Books and Users on Tuesday 28th November.

Warwick Jordan grew up in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. He is a publisher, illustrious hoarder, and proprietor of Hard to Find Books.

He holds an MA(hons) in Literature & History and a few papers in psychology, which he believes held him back from his vocation for five years.

Several more years were squandered working on PEP labouring schemes, first as a labourer, then eventually as a Supervisor. He also previously worked as a dairy farmer’s assistant, butcher’s mate, hammer hand on building sites, high-rise window cleaner, government clerk, counsellor and one week as a teacher trainee.

Between 1978 to 1991 he was a publisher, and trained himself in letterpress and Intertype operation in his own printing works.

In 1983 he established the Hard to Find (But Worth the Effort) Quality Secondhand Bookshop in a garage. It rapidly expanded to nine outlets in five cities. This did not suit him at all. Currently Hard to Find Books has three outlets in two cities, including the two largest bookstores in New Zealand. Hard to Find Books is also the largest online secondhand bookstore in Australasia.

Warwick's publishing company, Hard Echo Press, was first to publish some now well-known names like David Howard, Stephanie Johnson, Paddy Richardson, James Norcliffe and Rosie Scott, and 'had a finalist for Best New Zealand Novel in about 1989'. During the reception Warwick 'managed to spray the Minister for Arts with beer'.

Warwick’s much overdue relocation to Dunedin happened in 2013. He is very pleased to be home at last.

The University of Otago’s Centre for the Book: Books and Users symposium, on Wednesday 29th November, explores the many ways we interact with the ubiquitous object we call the book, and probes the meaning of ‘user’.

Warwick Jordan opens Dunedin’s Creative Cities Southern Hui on Tuesday 28th November. Join Warwick as he shares some legendary laughs and life lessons through literature