Looking for a fun way to enjoy books and meet new people? Create a book club! However, setting up a book club is more complex than it sounds. Book clubs offer a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, explore different literary genres and share enriching reading experiences.
Whether you’re an avid book lover or simply want to create a community around reading, this article will guide you through the steps to creating your own exciting book club.
Summary
1. Define the objective of your book club
Defining your club’s objective will help to attract members with similar interests. Before setting up a book club, it’s important to clearly define the aim and theme of your club:
- Do you want to focus on a specific genre, such as classic literature, science fiction or contemporary novels?
- Do you want to explore cultural diversity through reading or discussing books in different languages?
- Do you want to learn something new?
- Do you want to network with work colleagues or catch up with friends, meet new people, or even a mixture of all of these?
2. Decide who you invite to your book club
Start by inviting friends, family and colleagues who share your love of books to join your book club. You can also use social media, local community sites or posters in libraries to attract new members.
There are many different types of book club, and who joins depends on your chosen objective. You can invite as many people as you like or organise a simple book club for two.
3. Determine the frequency and location of your meetings
Planning meetings is crucial to the cohesion and commitment of your book club members. Set a regular schedule for meetings, taking into account members’ preferences. The frequency may vary, but once a month is usually a good place to start.
When choosing a venue for the meetings, make sure it’s somewhere comfortable and conducive to discussion. You can organise meetings at home, in local cafés or libraries, or even opt for online meetings using video conferencing tools. The key is to choose a venue that is easily accessible for all members and provides a calm environment where participants can concentrate on discussing the books.
4. Select the books and prepare the discussions
Selecting books is one of the most important aspects of running a book club. Choose a list of books to read for each meeting and share it with club members well in advance, usually a month is a good time. You can also organise votes to decide which books to read, allowing every member to participate in the decision, or opt for themed selections for each month to offer a variety of genres and subjects.
You can also appoint a moderator for each meeting to facilitate discussion and ensure that all members have an opportunity to express their views. The moderator can prepare a few initial questions to get the discussion going, but it’s also important to leave room for spontaneous ideas and members’ reactions to the book.
5. Run your book club meetings
At book club meetings, it’s essential to create a welcoming environment conducive to discussion. Start by giving everyone a chance to share their general impressions of the book, then let the members express their emotions, opinions and thoughts. Next, you can guide the discussion by asking open-ended questions that will stimulate the exchange of ideas.
Ask members to share:
- Their favourite moments from the book
- Their favourite characters
- The passages that struck them
- Their opinions, even if they don’t agree with them
- etc.
6. Encourage participation in your meetings
To maintain a dynamic book club, it is essential to encourage the active participation of all members and to value diversity of opinion. Make sure that every member has the opportunity to express themselves and share their ideas, and encourage them to ask questions, contribute different perspectives and explore different aspects of the book. A diversity of opinions and interpretations enriches discussions and provides a richer reading experience for all.
7. Organise additional activities
To make your book club even more exciting, consider organising extra events outside the regular meetings.
These could include:
- Visits to book fairs, to discover new authors
- Attending conferences
- workshops
- Films based on books
- etc.
These complementary activities will strengthen the links between members, deepen their immersion in the world of literature and add an extra dimension to their experience.
8. Maintain regular communication
Regular communication is essential to keep members engaged in your book club, such as sending regular reminders of upcoming meetings, sharing relevant reading information, recommending interesting books or creating an online platform where members can exchange ideas. You can also create an online discussion group, using instant messaging applications or social networks
Weezevent’s solutions provide book club managers with a practical platform for managing member registrations and organising reading events. Thanks to online booking, access control and communication with participants, Weezevent simplifies administrative management and allows the manager to concentrate on organising literary activities.
