Welcome To Introvert Happy Hour At The Silent Book Club

If you love reading and would like to meet up with like minded people, but don’t want the pressure of a deadline or feel the need to dissect the storyline, the Silent Book Club could be just what you’re looking for.

Founders Guinevere de la Mare and Laura Gluhanich wanted to find a way of enjoying a drink and a read with friends without any of the social pressures that come with traditional book clubs and without ‘scrambling to finish the selected book and having something smart to say’.

They set up the first SBC meeting at a bar in San Francisco, and Guernsey is set to join this growing community with a new chapter - see what we did there? - starting up at the Guille Allès Library this month.

Read on to find out more.

 

 

'We started Silent Book Club because reading with friends enriches our lives and makes us happy. We love hearing about what people are reading (often in their other book clubs) and we think it's important to put down our phones and be social.

Real, live, breathing-the-same-air social, not hearting-you-on-Instagram social.'

Silent Book Club co-founders Guinevere de la Mare and Laura Gluhanich

 

1.  There's No Assigned Reading.

At SBC meetings there are no set reading lists, no deadlines, no homework, no group discussion and no storyline dissection. In short, none of the pressure that can sometimes be associated with traditional book clubs.

It’s simply a friendly way to meet up with others and make time to read quietly for an hour, and you can read whatever you want. From fiction to folklore, memoirs to magazines, textbooks to comic books, it’s entirely up to you. You can even bring along a book from your traditional book club meeting if you have one, and spend a quiet hour catching up on your reading. 

 

2.  There's No Set Reading Format.

It’s not a one size fits all kind of meeting. Not only can you read whatever you want, you can also choose any format. By all means turn up with your own actual physical book - or better still, borrow one from the library - but if you prefer ebooks or audiobooks that’s perfectly acceptable reading behaviour too at the SBC. 

 

3.  What Does A Typical SBC Meeting Looks Like?

People arrive, fix themselves a drink and share what they’re reading (if they want to), and find a comfy spot and settle in. Then it’s time to enjoy an hour of uninterrupted reading, as you escape with your book of choice in a quiet, safe space with like minded individuals. Socialising is optional as the group wraps up for the evening. You can chat with your fellow readers as you pack up or simply slip away when you’re done. 

 

4.  Where Do SBC Meetings Take Place?

SBC members gather in public at bars, cafes, bookstores, libraries, and even online.

In Guernsey, the library is hosting its inaugural Silent Book Club meeting on Thursday 26 September from 6.30pm, where you’ll find a friendly welcome and light refreshments to help you enjoy the experience. You can find out more here.