Barbara and Peter Clendon
Peter and Barbara have been reading science fiction since they were kids [which, alas, we aren't any longer] but didn't know about fandom until Matthew Pavletich, then a customer at our shop, invited us to bring our bookshop to Conquest in 1998. What a rush: learning that art was as important as the words in a book; that dressing up didn't make you strange, it just makes you interesting. We were hooked, immediately joining Stella Nova and discovering all the different aspects of fandom. As owners of Barbara's Books we have supported fandom in NZ by 'spreading the word', supporting conventions, boosting goodie bags, speaking on panels, and generally helping out at Cons, as well as sharing our love of SF and fantasy books with as many fans as we can reach.