After waiting since the start of 2020 to hold its 40th anniversary fundraising book sale, the Regent Theatre is raring to go in April.

Dubbed the “Regent Red Setting Book Sale”, the sale will run from April 1 to 10 at the theatre, and will be quite different from other years in order to comply with Covid-19 guidelines.

To keep numbers down to within the 100-person gathering limit, the event will be divided into 90-minute slots, and people will be required to book in. Multiple slots can be booked across the 10 days, with four or five sessions running each day.

Regent book sale co-ordinator Alison Cunningham said she hoped the modified sale would serve two purposes — to give local people a book sale experience and to raise desperately needed funds for the Regent Theatre.

“With so many shows and events cancelled, and the impact of that on the theatre’s income, it has been very difficult to cover costs,” Mrs Cunningham said.

“We have to do everything we can to keep our wonderful small team of staff employed.

“Also, as it has been such a tough time for so many people in the past two years, we think people will enjoy being able to come and get some good books, jigsaws and puzzles.”

The dedicated volunteer book sorters have continued to work through thousands of donated books, and after two years of cancelled sales, stores were now “bursting at the seams”.

“So we have devised a plan within the Covid guidelines to keep everyone safe, meet the theatre’s legal obligations in Red level and give thousands of Dunedin people a chance to stock up with good-value entertainment to see them through to the Green light,” she said.

Under the new booking system, every person attending will need to buy a ticket for $5, with that $5 able to be put towards buying books, or be a donation to the theatre.

​Brenda Harwood, The Star 24 February 2022

Photograph Brenda Harwood (Regent Red Setting Book Sale co-ordinator Alison Cunningham (left) and book-sorting volunteer Jill Bowie work among thousands of donated books).