Legends in Bookselling – Still doing business

A new category, sponsored by Exclusive Books was profiled at the Booksellers’ Choice Awards and this was presented to four legends in the bookselling trade, people who have dedicated their lives to selling books and to supporting everyone in the trade to do so successfully. Benjamin Trisk, the erudite MD of Exclusive Books regaled the audience with tales of yore before calling up Maureen Hargraves of Hargraves Library Suppliers, Henrietta Dax of Clarkes Bookshop, Fleur Mcfarlane of Exclusive Books and Peter Adams of Adams Booksellers.

Maureen Hargraves
Maureen’s career as a bookseller commenced in 1963, at Pilgrim’s Booksellers, St. George’s Street, Cape Town. When Pilgrims was sold in 1974 Maureen, with Philip Joseph of Exclusive Books (Hillbrow) opened the first Exclusive Books store in March 1975, in Church Street, Cape Town.

In 1996 Maureen established Hargraves Library Service with the aim of offering a full range of specialised library services to libraries throughout Southern Africa. Hargraves Library Service became one of the leading library suppliers in the country and has several times won the Library Supplier of the Year award. Her son Richard joined her in 1998 to run the office in KwaZulu-Natal and later joined her in Cape Town. He is now M.D.

For 45 years Maureen served SABA (now SA Booksellers Association), in various capacities which included nine years as president of SABA (Associated Booksellers of SA). She was instrumental in launching the news magazine, Bookmark, in 1991 and in 1998 received Honorary Life Membership of ABSA at a function in Cape Town. She was also awarded Honorary Life Membership of SA Booksellers Association at the Sefika Awards Function in Cape Town on 19th August 2008. She continues to work in the business of library supply.

Henrietta Dax
“I was born in London, brought up in the US, France and England. First job in the book trade was the bookshop at the American College in Paris. I travelled down Africa in the early 70s and decided to stay in Cape Town. I worked at the Stuttafords Bookshop for two years, then seven happy years working for Maureen Hargraves at Exclusive Books. In 1981 I
started to work at Clarke’s Bookshop and became sole owner in 1998.”

Peter Adams
Peter Adams studied at the University of Natal after leaving school and spending a year as an AFS Exchange student. He completed a B.A. then a B. Com. after which he joined Adams Booksellers. There he learned general, school and university book selling under the tutelage of Ernest Rabjohn. After his father died he took over the management of the family business. He has always enjoyed reading – particularly history – and continued studying this through UNISA. Throughout his working life he has been involved in Book Trade affairs and has served as Secretary on the National Executive of SABA for many years. He was Chairman of the Natal branch for two years. Peter has also enjoyed sport, playing tennis, squash and golf during different periods of his life, and enjoying cycling too. He and his wife Ingrid have four children, one of whom serves on the Board of Adams and Co.

Fleur McFarlane
“Born 1941 at Somerset West. My father was in the Defence Force, transferred to Robben Island Coastal Artillery base in 1945. My first school was Robben Island Primary School. We moved to the mainland in 1952, I went to Notre Dame convent in Constantia. In 1955 we went to live in Durban at the end of the Bluff which was a Naval enclave. I went to Durban Girls’ High School. In 1958–59 my father was on course in UK and I wrote matric at South Africa House in London.

In 1960 I did a first year BA at UCT with dismal results due to excessive partying, followed by a Certificate in Librarianship which I achieved by the skin of my teeth in 1961. I worked for Cape Town City Libraries until 1968, then moved to Johannesburg where I worked for Exclusive Books with Philip Joseph and Ester Richards. I married a fellow bookseller, James McFarlane, in 1970 and we moved to Cape Town. There I joined Cape Youngbooks, a specialist Children’s bookshop. During this time I made up for my misspent youth by acquiring a BA through Unisa. In 1980 Youngbooks was bought out by Pilgrims’ Booksellers and I moved to Cavendish Square in Claremont.

I became manager in 1982. Exclusive Books bought Pilgrims in 1990. I retired in 2008. I then spent two years coaching part-time at various branches of Exclusive Books and putting together a Best Practice Manual before complete retirement.”