Meet the people
Anne Greenwell
Co-owner of Book League
Anne, who has lived in Darling for the past 13 years with her life partner, Wendy – who is also her business partner and “does the books” at their bookshop – says she wanted to study agriculture. “In those years, any woman who wanted to further her studies had to become a teacher, and that was that. And that’s how, in 1963, I left the former Rhodesia and moved to the Cape to become a teacher at Golden Grove Primary School in Rondebosch.”
Anne battled for eight years to organise a library at the school – “as always, the darned rugby fields, netball courts and cricket pitches were given priority.” After 14 years, she started working at an independent bookstore, and then became a salesperson for the Random House and Pan Macmillan publishing houses. Following her retirement in 2000, Anne “did a little painting and grew vegetables”, but after yet another break-in in the Cape Town suburb of Observatory, they decided to buy a house in Darling.
“You can divide our income from this business into thirds: one third books, one third stationery, one third printer ink. We’ve managed to make a living in this tiny place. The local community and businesses support us and, just as importantly, everyone is accepted for who they are. You get involved, but at the same time we allow everyone their personal space. But when there’s a need in Darling, everyone jumps in to help.”
Dianne le Roux
Darling’s tourism officer
Dianne and her husband, Chris, swapped Somerset West for Darling
