How to Set Up a Book Club

Are you Interested in setting up a book club at your estate, but not sure where to start? For National Book Lovers Day, we’ve pulled together a basic guide for setting up a new book club, and some tips for making it fun and engaging.

A book club is usually made up of a group of people who meet regularly to share in the joy of reading and talking about books. These groups can be made up of friends, family, acquaintances or strangers, and the main goal is to bring people together to enjoy/discuss reading in a relaxed environment

Many libraries across the UK already host reading groups, so if you are interested in joining one but don’t want the hassle of the organisation, it is worth looking at your local council and library websites to see what they offer. In many areas the local libraries can assist with setting up your book club; one of our managed estates in Oxfordshire set their book club up this way. One person needs to take ownership and organise the group, but the library provides a reading list monthly, from which the group can choose a book and also can provide up to 12 copies of the chosen book.

Where to start if you want to set up your own group.

The first thing to think about is who you would like to join your group, as you will need members. It is also good practice to have two nominated organisers so that all the organisation doesn’t fall on one person, and if for any reason you can’t make the meeting, it can still go ahead.

How big should the group be?

It is suggested that 10-14 people is the ideal size for a reading group. Over 15 can be too many, but fewer than 7 is likely to be too few.

How will you publicise your group?

You can start by talking to your neighbours and friends at the estate. Ask if they would be interested in joining. You can also put-up posters or leaflets on the estate notice board to spread the word.

Where are you going to meet?

Does your estate have a communal area you can gather like a lounge, or perhaps one of your group members would be happy to host in their home and take turns to host the meeting? Wherever you choose to host, make sure the space is comfortable and has enough seating for everyone.

How often are you going to meet?

Lots of groups usually meet monthly, which is enough time to read the chosen book, but however often you meet is entirely up to you. You can choose which day of the week and what time suits your group, but it is best to choose a regular day and time that’s easy for everyone to remember and to stick to.

What to read?

Choosing the books for members to read is an important step. Everyone in the group could take turns picking books, or members could opt to vote from a list of suggestions monthly. Maybe it would be good to choose a particular genre of book each month, i.e., poetry, fiction or crime. Just make sure that the books you choose are easy for your members to find, either at your local library or online.

Many local libraries will have resources for reading groups and offer suggestions, and many offer reading group library cards which enable you to borrow multiple copies of the same title for an extended loan period.

We have found a few councils with resources which we have linked below, but the best way to find resources for your reading club is to look online or ask in your local library.

Surrey - Resources for reading groups - Surrey County Council (surreycc.gov.uk)

Oxfordshire - Reading groups | Oxfordshire County Council

Hampshire - Reading group sets | Hampshire County Council (hants.gov.uk)

Preparing for your first meeting

For your first meeting, it is a good idea to have a general chat to discuss how the group will work and what people’s expectations are. It’s a good opportunity to establish what sort of books everyone’s interested in and what sort of discussions you would like to have, as well as setting the ground rules for how you will choose new books or whether you might like to bring refreshments to the meetings.

What to discuss?

It can be useful to have a list of questions prepared before each meeting to help guide the discussion, these can be about:

• How the book made you feel

• What was your favourite/least favourite character and why?

• Did you find it easy to read and were hooked from the beginning, or did it start off slow and take you a while to engage with it?

• What did you think of the ending? Was it what you expected?

• Did you find some parts of the story more enjoyable than others?

Having questions ready will help to keep the discussion on track and make sure that everyone has the opportunity to share their thoughts.

If the conversation ever dries up, or your group needs an icebreaker you can always talk about your favourite childhood books, your favourite books of all time, or any new books in the ‘best sellers’ list that you are looking forward to reading (perhaps they will make their way into the reading list). You could also talk about which of your books have had film adaptations and whether you enjoyed these.

The best part of being involved with a book club is being able to hear different opinions and ideas, listen to each other’s thoughts and have an open mind.

What next?

Once you’ve had your book club running for a while, why not take some time to celebrate the books you have read, and the new members you’ve introduced. You could plan a field trip relating to one of the groups favourite books? Perhaps you’ve recently read Jane Austen’s ‘Persuasion’ and a trip to Bath or down to the coast to Lyme Regis might be a fun day out?

What ever you choose to do, make sure your book club is fun and engaging and take time to enjoy the way that books can bring people together, and all the benefits that reading offers.