A MOUNT Gambier local has claimed a prize valued at over $11,000 in Collins Booksellers’ nation-wide Christmas reading guide competition.
The annual competition gives customers a chance to win the store’s entire Christmas catalogue – 358 books in every genre from self-help to science fiction.
Almost 3000 people entered the draw at Collins Booksellers stores across Australia during the festive season, with avid reader Meredith McArthur claiming every book-lover’s dream prize.
“I won a year’s supply of Tim Tams once, but this prize tops that,” Ms McArthur told The Border Watch last week.
“We do have quite a big bookshelf, but it’s not big enough for an extra 358 books.
“We have a spare room which is home to our son’s drum kit – I think that will get packed away to make room for some bookshelves.”
Collins Booksellers Mount Gambier owner Julie Mattinson said she was thrilled to have one of her customers win the nation-wide competition.
“The competition has been running for about eight years and this is the first time we have had a winner from Mount Gambier,” Ms Mattinson said.
“Last year’s winner was from Warrnambool and we were thinking ‘oh that’s just over the border, hopefully this year one of our customers will be a winner’.
“The competition was free to enter for every person who purchased books in Collins Booksellers stores and 2735 entries were received from all over the country.”
Collins Booksellers general manager William Smith congratulated Ms McArthur and Ms Mattinson on behalf of the franchise.
“All of us at Collins are excited for Meredith,” Mr Smith said.
“This is a huge prize and it’s great that the winner is from such a fantastic part of the country with an equally fantastic local bookshop in Collins Booksellers Mount Gambier.”
Ms McArthur’s prize pack is valued at $11,353.
The competition will run again in 2018.
Entry forms will be available later in the year from all Collins Booksellers locations.
