Silent Book Clubs – it’s a thing….

Sometimes there is just no time to read…unless you schedule a time and maybe join others in this quiet pursuit. Silent Book Clubs are starting up in bars, cafes and libraries.

Maybe traditional Book Clubs aren’t your style – the pressure to finish the book in the allotted time along with the pressure to come up with clever insights to share. Wouldn’t it be great to meet others where you could just enjoy books, share some company and a coffee or a wine?

Why not start your own Silent Book Club in the library, or convene at a local restaurant, club or bar? You could get together after the library shuts one evening a week or one evening a month. Members still borrow library books; but not the same one at the same time. It’s a chance to socialize but also a time to escape work, family or other obligations and to share a companionable silence, reading…

The Slow Reading movement was started in Wellington NZ by a group who sit in silence together once a week and read. “The shared passion for reading is a strong bond. It makes you understand your fellow humans, “says Guinevere de la Mare, Silent Book Club founder. “I’m a person who loves getting lost in a book, and that’s our common ground.”

When your life is busy all the time, it is important to grant yourself permission to take the time out to read. Planning uninterrupted reading time is a form of self-care. So why not consider a Silent Book Club this year?

You can read more about silent bookclubs here.

About the author: Desley Cullen is Research Librarian with Public Library Partnerships.