Katipo Books' philosophy is to work co-operatively as a group, meaning that decision making is non-hierarchical, decentralised and formed by consensus. Members contribute as much of their time and energy to the collective as they feel able. We operate as a non-profit group — all funds from sales go back into sourcing new material and our own small scale publishing. One of our next steps is to consider wages for all collective members and we see this as a step towards creating a sustainable and productive workers' co-operative.

As anti-capitalists, we realise the paradox of a radical bookstore existing within the current system. However, we do not exist to enrich ourselves at the expense of consumers, and try hard to move towards the most non-exploitative way of operating. We exist within Capitalism to challenge and subvert Capitalism, and hope to provide the intellectual tools for this very purpose.

The long term vision of Katipo Books is to have available — both within Otautahi and Aotearoa — a large and wide range of alternative, educational and radical material accessible as a resource for both our own and future generations.

"One must start with the impossible in order to reach the possible." — Hermann Hesse.