Coffee with Kate

Kate Mead - owner of the popular bookstore, Loco Coffee and Books in Featherston - was the first-ever Festival Director of Featherston Booktown and ran the first three festivals voluntarily while holding down a full-time job. Originally from the UK, Kate trained as a cellist and worked for many years at RNZ before leaving her music career to run her bookshop - which has since become a vital and vibrant part of the community.

Kate chats with Peter Biggs, the Chair of Featherston Booktown Board of Trustees - and a regular Loco customer, about the ups and downs, and ins and outs, of running a second-hand bookshop in a small rural village.

Kate will be leaving us soon to move with her husband, Ross, to Waihi - so, we’ve asked the other six Featherston Booksellers to set the questions for this beguiling conversation.