A few months ago, Kavipriya Moorthy attended her first session with the Broke Bibliophiles, a book club in the city. There was little she knew about the group, and its members were all strangers — the only thing binding them were the books they’d come to celebrate. “I didn’t know what to expect when I entered,” she recalls, “But I remember walking out after three hours of talking about books with people who I felt like I’d known my entire life.”
Book clubs have always existed, but have only recently seen themselves impact the city’s literary scene on a larger scale. Its growth can be attributed to the obvious factors, says Pankaj Korwar, who runs the club Book Buff Company. “There’s an urge that any reader understands, to be able to discuss a text with someone like-minded. Book clubs are a way for people to connect outside their normal spheres; you have everyone from retired servicemen to dancers and scientists coming together because they’re voracious readers.”
If clubs are mushrooming across the city, there’s good reason; readers are starting to revolutionise the way that book clubs exist. The traditional model of one book a month discussed in someone’s living room has been traded for a new, more inclusive form.
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The Chennai Goodreads Club, for example, sets no agenda or book for a meeting, and members are free to discuss any title they choose. “Everyone’s tastes are different, so we want them all to be included,” says Jagan Krishnan, one of its members. “We introduce what we’re reading, bounce off book titles and discuss different genres. It’s a discussion that thrives on intellectual ideas and debate, and by the end of a meeting, you leave with almost 20 new titles to explore.”
Adithya V.S, another member, believes it has helped him explore new avenues. “I read mostly English and Malayalam literature,” he says, adding, “After I met Jagan at our book club, he introduced me to the work of Tamil authors and explained them to me. It was like discovering another world.”
Solomon Manoj, who’s been a part of the club for a few months now, continues, “I think we’re expanding beyond just discussing books, but are also taking part in book activities. I enjoy sharing what I call ‘book styling’ with the group, where I take photos of books centred around a theme.”
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Social media also helps these clubs thrive, with members meeting each other on apps like Goodreads and Meetup to arrange events. The talk continues beyond physical meetings, with active Whatsapp and Facebook groups making it easier to connect. “If I hadn’t gotten online, I wouldn’t have even known that some of these clubs existed,” says Kavipriya.
“Our Facebook group has members from abroad as well, so you have multiple cultural perspectives brought to one book,” continues Solomon, “I’ve had Polish works explained to me by Polish members, and it helps you understand the different nuances of the book.”
The experience of reading a book, knowing that it’s going to be shared with others, is deeply enriching, members believe. Book clubs have made them engage more with a book, read between the lines and think critically. “It’s made me a more aware reader,” says Kanmani Pandian, a member of the Azure Book Club. “I am now constantly looking for a deeper meaning in the text, a lesson of sorts, that I can pass on to other members when we talk about it.”
Pankaj has found that his club made him more engrossed in books, saying, “You need to delve into the book a little more, because at a discussion, there are going to be people who will complement and counter your ideas on a text. In a way, you’re almost representing the book you read and you need to do it well.”
With groups of people gathering to celebrate the written word at least once a month, members like Jagan believe that a book club can take any form or size, “You can start by talking to people about books anywhere, whether it’s in your office, school or your apartment complex. Just get the conversation started.”