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How to start a book club

Here's a chance to read fabulous new books and expand your social life. Why not join a book club or start up your own? It's the ideal way to indulge your literary passion and at the same time share ideas and socialise with others.

Before you start your book club, consider the people you want to join and the ideal number. It's best to get a mix of women, men, different age groups and backgrounds – it'll guarantee lively and fun discussions. Don't forget a small intimate group can be enjoyable too – get together friends who you know are interested. Another way to expand a group is to invite two friends and ask them to bring along two of their friends. It will create a group that connects well and each person will have something in common.

The number of people you have in your group will influence which venue you choose. If you take it in turns to host it at home your club will need to have a maximum of about six people because of space restrictions. If you hold meetings at coffee shops, tea houses, restaurants or library meeting rooms, then you can have bigger groups of up to 12. Some of these locations may charge a fee, so check before you make your plans. Remember that it's free to take your meetings outside in the warmer months. Find a stretch of lush green grass at a park or try the beach – simply fold out your picnic rug and breathe in the fresh air.

The first meeting
Start out with a list of questions and rules to raise. Ask each member what they would like to achieve by being part of a book club.

What sort of books will you read?
Choose specific genres – romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, or decide on fiction/non-fiction only. Consider whether you will only read paperbacks to limit costs. If you can select your titles months in advance, then try approaching your local library to order in copies.

How frequently will you meet?
It is common for a club to meet every 6-8 weeks. If you lead busy lives you may want to meet less often than that. But if you tend to be fast readers, keep up the pace with regular meetings. You will need to decide on whether a person who does not read the whole book should be allowed into the next meeting. Some clubs find this rule to be an important one. It energises members to be committed and to persevere, and will keep your meetings purposeful.

Who will decide on the book?
This is often left to people who are the widest readers. Otherwise it could be somebody who has read the book, or who makes a suggestion based on a book review. If you have many suggestions and difficulty deciding, use a simple voting system. Raise hands or put scraps of paper into a bowl to be drawn. Choose a book before you leave each meeting so everyone can be prepared for next time.

Who will pose discussion questions?
Often the host will also be the leader of the conversation and the person to pose the questions. Otherwise it is a good idea to ask the person who chose the book to pose the questions (of course, this only works if each person chooses a book in turn). They should present their choice with any accompanying research material. Then let each person speak around the circle and follow with an open discussion. This way everybody will be guaranteed talk time. Whether you are coming to your next class with questions or comments, you may find it helpful to flag pages with post-it notes. By logging your thoughts as you go, discussion time will be much easier.

What sort of points will you cover?
Check the publisher website of your chosen book for reading notes and questions. They will often prompt a discussion group on specially selected titles or suggest general starting points you can apply to any title. You may like to start with these areas: content, context and background, meaning of the text, technique, appreciation, and anecdotes.

Will you have a secretary?
The club can be as organised or as casual as you like. A lot of private clubs nominate a secretary to send out a newsletter via email after each meeting. They list who attended, the next book chosen and the discussions that took place, highlighting major points and funny incidences. Other notes that may be included are author's websites, links to online reviews, and tips on where to find the next book on sale.

When hosting…
Have the odd movie night for a relaxed break. Watch and compare how successful the movie version of the story is and how closely it follows the book. Sometimes the movie doesn't live up to the book but it always provides another dimension for you to discuss. Depending on how much time you have, select dishes or decorate the room to tie in with the theme of the book.

Serving Suggestions

MAO The Unknown Story
Serve Chinese tea and decorate the walls with oriental fans.

The Da Vinci Code
Display framed pictures of The Pope, The Last Supper and The Mona Lisa.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Serve Turkish delight with English Tea and display things around in an antique armoire.

Cry the Beloved Country
Cover the tables in African cloths, serve African tea in your garden.

There are no limits to your imagination!

If you would like to join an established club, check your library for meetings. They may have a community pin board with recruitment notices. Otherwise you can start researching right here online! Check out our links below.

Related Links

Australian Book Publishers
www.harpercollins.com.au
www.penguinaustralia.com.au
www.randomhouse.com.au
www.pearsoned.com.au
www.allenandunwin.com

Bookclubs
www.book-club.co.nz
http://ausbookweb.com.au
www.abc.net.au
www.seedsofknowledge.com/teaclub.html
www.mostlyweeat.org

Libraries
www.nla.gov.au/libraries

Check List

Membership
Gender
Age
Occupation/interests
Numbers

Meetings
Location
Frequency
Selection of books
Discussion Questions
Topics
Newsletter

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