About Us

Muirs Bookshop first opened its doors in July 1905 as an attachment to The Gisborne Herald, also owned by the Muir family. Charles Muir, the first owner started as a stationer, newsagent and bookshop with a strong focus on sporting books. When Charles died in 1943, Bowser Toogood who was married to Charles' niece took over the shop, running it for the next 40 years. Apart from a short period between 1983 and 1987, Muirs Bookshop had been owned and operated by someone in the Muir family.

Miss Vivien Quigley was the owner for these four years and she then sold it to Michael and Anne Muir, the current owners of The Gisborne Herald. Michael and Anne purchased the neighbouring historic building at 62 Gladstone Road and moved Muirs Bookshop into there. Then they extended the building, doubling its size, and developing the cafe in the space upstairs before selling the business in 2008 to us, Kim and Guy Pittar.

Our vision, at Muirs Bookshop, is to continue catering for Gisborne people and visitors with a beautiful, well-stocked bookshop that provides intelligent fiction and non-fiction, and the very best in children's literature. We have also begun a second hand section of out of print local history, New Zealand history and many other non-fiction titles.

Along with the cafe, which offers delicious baking, light lunches and superb coffee, we stock beautiful cards, a huge range of magazines, travel guides, maps and designer stationery.

We are fully computerised and can search for and locate rare or out-of-print titles and bring in second hand to order.

Local Books
Maori Books
Children & Teens

Out Of The Ordinary

The Little Library Cookbook - $45

Paddington Bear's marmalade, a Neopolitan pizza with Elena Ferrante, afternoon tea at Manderley... Here are 100 delicious recipes inspired by cookery writer Kate Young's well-stocked bookshelves. From Before Noon breakfasts and Around Noon lunches to Family Dinners and Midnight Feasts, The Little Library Cookbook captures the magic and wonder of the meals enjoyed by some of our best-loved fictional characters.

The Little Book of Lykke - $30

From the author of the international bestseller The Little Book of Hygge Lykke (Luu-kah) (n): Happiness It's easy to see why Denmark is often called the world's happiest country. Not only do they have equal parental leave for men and women, free higher education and trains that run on time, but they burn more candles per household than anywhere else.So nobody knows more about happiness - what the Danes call lykke - than Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and author of the bestselling sensation The Little Book of Hygge. But he believes that, whilst we can certainly learn a lot from the Danes about finding fulfilment, the keys to happiness are actually buried all around the globe.In this captivating book, he takes us on a treasure hunt to unlock the doors to inner fulfilment. From how we spend our precious time, to how we relate to our neighbours and cook dinner, he gathers evidence, stories and tips from the very happiest corners of the planet. This is the ultimate guide to how we can all find a little more lykke in our lives.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family From a Lifetime of Clutter - $30

Swedish-born Margareta Magnusson is, in her words, 'aged between 80 and 100'. When her husband died, she had to downsize her home. The experience forced her to recognise the power of 'death-cleaning' and the concerns that must be addressed in order to do it with thought and care. Done well, the approach not only makes things easier for your loved ones later on, it allows you to revisit the lifetime of memories accumulated with your things. From clothes and books to stuff you just can't get rid of, stuff that only matters to you, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning offers indispensable advice on questions you will inevitably face when sorting through a lifetime of objects- How do you deal with your secrets? Tackle photographs and letters? Avoid heirs fighting over your belongings after you are gone? This charming, practical book based on personal experience and anecdotes will guide you in making the process uplifting rather than overwhelming- it focuses on the importance of living - even through death cleaning.

Braving The Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone First Person Richard Flanagan - $38

In Braving the Wilderness, Brown redefines what it means to truly belong in an age of increased polarisation. With her trademark mix of research, storytelling and honesty, Brown will again change the cultural conversation while mapping out a clear path to true belonging. Brown argues that what we're experiencing today is a spiritual crisis of disconnection, and introduces four practices of true belonging that challenge everything we believe about ourselves and each other.

Evolution (A Ladybird Expert Book) - $21

Part of the new Ladybird Expert series, Evolution is a clear, simple and entertaining introduction to Charles Darwin's pioneering and revolutionary theory of how all life changes through natural selection. Written by broadcaster, prize-winning author and geneticist Professor Steve Jones, it explores the extraordinary diversity of life on our planet through the complex interactions of one very simple theory. You'll discover the common origins of dogs and Brussels sprouts, how it is we're all mutants, where wings, ears and tails came from, why sex is good for you, how some dinosaurs evolved and survived, and why human evolution may finally have stopped.

The Little Book Of Hygge - $30

Denmark is often said to be the happiest country in the world. That's down to one thing: hygge. 'Hygge has been translated as everything from the art of creating intimacy to cosiness of the soul to taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things. My personal favourite is cocoa by candlelight...' You know hygge when you feel it. It is when you are cuddled up on a sofa with a loved one, or sharing comfort food with your closest friends. It is those crisp blue mornings when the light through your window is just right. Who better than Meik Wiking to be your guide to all things hygge? Meik is CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and has spent years studying the magic of Danish life. In this beautiful, inspiring book he will help you be more hygge: from picking the right lighting and planning a dinner party through to creating an emergency hygge kit and even how to dress. Meik Wiking is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. He is committed to finding out what makes people happy and has concluded that hygge is the magic ingredient that makes Danes the happiest nation in the world.

The Wisdom Of Prince Philip - $15

Prince Philip - or to give him his proper due, His Royal Highness the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich, KG (Knight of the Garter), KT (Knight of the Thistle), OM (Order of Merit), GBE (Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire), AK (Knight of the Order of Australia), QSO (Companion of The Queen's Service Order), PC (Privy Counsellor) - is a gentleman and a senior Royal of such standing, it's only fitting that a book celebrate the great wisdom he has accrued in his 93 magnificent years on earth. A tireless public servant to the Commonwealth, who can forget such pearlers as "If it has four legs and it is not a chair, if it has got two wings and it flies but is not an aeroplane and if it swims and it is not a submarine, the Cantonese will eat it" as said to a World Wildlife Fund meeting in 1986? Or, observing to a wheelchair-bound Susan Edwards alongside her guide dog in 2002, "Do you know they have eating dogs for the anorexic now?". Of course, Australians fondly remember his deep and abiding interest in the country. We will always remember his asking "Do you still throw spears at each other?" to Indigenous leader William Brin in 2002? Or when offered a koala to stroke "Oh no, I might catch some ghastly disease"? But perhaps Prince Philip best summed up his illustratrious career when commenting to Jeremy Paxman that "Any bloody fool can lay a wreath at the thingamy".

Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way - $55

"Every man looks at his wood-pile with a kind of affection" Henry David Thoreau Chopping and stacking wood is a pastime where the world makes sense once more. Because our relationship to fire is so ancient, so universal, it seems that in learning about wood, you can also learn about life. And who better to impart this wisdom than an expert from Scandinavia, where the extreme climate has obliged generations to hone and share their skills with tools, wood and heat production. Lars Mytting has distilled the wisdom of enthusiasts, from experienced lifelong growers, stackers and burners to researchers and professionals of combustion and tree culture. Part guide to the best practice in every aspect of working with this renewable energy source, part meditation on the human instinct for survival, this definitive handbook on the art of chopping, stacking and drying wood in the Scandinavian way has resonated across the world. Whether you are a seasoned woodcutter, or your passion is yet to be kindled, Norwegian Wood is the perfect fireside read. As featured on Chris Evans' Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2.

You could say the book has spread like wildfire. For the world's first comprehensive book about firewood is high in bestseller lists in Britain and generating heated discussions online and in pubs, offices, cafes and bars - about logs, log-piles and the best fire. Daily Mail. A how-to book with poetry at its heart. -- Brian Morton Times Literary Supplement. As much as Mytting captures the romance of the great outdoors, the nobility of the honest graft of wood chopping, and our close relationship with trees, it is also a step-by-step guide to preparing your wood store. -- Sophie Morris Independent.