Book Clubs – How Do You Start One?

Here's how you can start a book club...

So, you’re a reader, and for a long time you’ve read on your own, but you’d like it to be more social? Starting or joining a book club might work for you, and there are many ways to go about setting up or being part of a book club, and Australia Reads has some tips on starting one. These suggestions focus on a book club where everyone reads the same book, but as I have found – particularly in the online space, there are other ways to have a book club or book discussion group that relieves the pressure on finding, obtaining and reading the same book for everyone.

The first step in creating a book club is finding out who wants to join, because a book club begins with people.

1.     Decide on the people you want to include.

·      Group of friends

·      School connections

·      Community groups

·      Genre readers

·      First-time regular readers

·      How big do you want your book club to be?

·      Not too big

·      Not too small

·      8-10 is a good size.

·      It should be big enough for no-shows, and small enough to ensure everyone can share their thoughts.

·      Pick a catchy or unique name for your book club to help with communication beteen members.

2.     When will you meet?

·      Public space.

·      Someone’s home.

·      Online via Zoom.

·      Hybrid – in-person and online – this can give people more flexibility to attend.

·      How often will you meet?

o   Will depend on reading paces.

o   Once a month

o   Longer gaps are an option.

3.     Selecting your books

There are many ways to go about this:

·      Each member has a turn to choose a book

·      Group consensus

·      Lucky dip

·      Find an existing curation or program

·      Choose a theme

·      Choose a genre

·      Read an author’s entire works!

The possibilities of how to choose your book are endless!

4.     The conversation!

·      Make sure everyone id on the same page about catchups.

·      Some people prefer an informal dynamic.

·      Others might like a more structured approach.

·      Some members will come to meetings with strong ideas and opinions

·      Others will prefer to listen.

·      Encourage healthy debate, but set some ground rules – criticise the book, not the speaker (not everyone will like the chosen book and that’s okay!)

·      Ensure everyone is heard and respected

·      Australia Reads has a handy list of prompts if you get stuck. Download these and other information from their website.

·      Check publisher/s websites for reader’s discussion notes.

5.     Be adaptable

The needs of your book club may change over time, because there is no right or wrong way to run a book club, just like there is no right or wrong way to read a book – never let anybody make you feel like you should read or like something because they do or the rest of the group does!

And it’s good to remember that some members may not get around to reading the book for whatever reason – and that’s okay. Group members may also drop out and you’ll have new readers with different tastes come in, or you may find the original structure and timing needs to change as well. Make it an open and inviting space to share the joys of reading together.