The Reading Group Revival

How a new generation of readers are driving the popularity of book clubs

Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

Welcome to A Narrative of their Own, where I discuss the work of 20th century women writers and their relevance to contemporary culture.

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I have been noticing over the past few months that there are quite a few read-along groups popping up all over Substack.  

I have been pleased to join in with one of these on the Closely Reading newsletter, where we have been reading A House of Mirth by Edith Wharton.  Interestingly, Wharton is an author that, despite studying for both a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and a Masters in English Studies, I had never read.  Reading Mirth along with the other subscribers of Haley’s fantastic newsletter has allowed for a slower reading pace and her weekly ‘Wharton Wednesdays’ have provided background and discussion for a closer reading of the text.  

Delving deeper into the whole idea of book clubs and reading groups this week, after coming across several articles on their blooming popularity, led me to an interesting connection around book clubs and women’s empowerment, as well as the antislavery movement.  

Research shows that, in the US at least, records dating back to the 1700s show that Colonial women regularly met in towns and villages to discuss their own writing and poetry of the day: their own literary salons!  Later, in the 1800s, as women were still excluded from educational institutions, they began meeting in small groups together to discuss their reading on intellectual ideas, often in their own homes or the backs of bookshops by candlelight (I love this image!!)

In 1877, the first meeting of the Women’s Club of Mattoon, Illinois, took place, and remains one of the longest running book clubs in the US.  Whilst in 1828 Philadelphia, freed Black male slaves began a group known as the Coloured Reading Society, followed a few years later by the Society of Young Women and the Philadelphia Female Literacy Association, offering Black women a safe space to share both the literature of the day and their own writing. 

Many Black literary societies became involved in the antislavery movement, collecting signatures on petitions and raising funds towards abolitionist causes.  Following abolition in the 1860s, both literacy and literary societies spread.  This, coupled with the growing Civil Rights Movement, led to the existence of more reading groups.

In the UK, the 1800s also saw the advent of the book club as a way for members to gain access to reading materials, which were often expensive and scarce, and as a forum for further discussion.   

Photo by Prasanna Kumar on Unsplash

Recent reading around these topics however has led me to some interesting discoveries around a new plethora of reading groups amongst the Gen Z crowd, symbolised as the generation being born between 1997-2012. 

A recent Guardian piece reported on data carried out by event listings sites which confirmed that they had seen a boom in bookings for reading based clubs.  The article posits the idea that some of this interest may be down to the forming of reading groups by popular celebrities, such as UK singer Dua Lipa, as well as the #BookTok phenomena.  I am an often critical spokesperson against Social Media generally, but even I have to admit that this points to a more positive trend.  

Others however, as discussed in this piece, believe the move to read more physical books by this generation is a turn away from the digital distractions of their everyday lives.  It is difficult for myself as a Gen X’er to realise that my seventeen year old does not remember a time before digital media, but this is the reality.

It is also discussed in the piece that there appears to be a generational shift away from more traditional ‘hobbies’ for the younger generation, with numbers in night-clubs and bars dropping.  Although it is pointed out that the pandemic has led to some of these changes in habits, I think the economic climate must also be playing a part. 

A recent morning spent working at my local university revealed that there are now fridges of donated food for students to help themselves to, as well as microwaves provided within the students’ union building for them to heat the food and keep warm.  With student funding not rising in line with current inflation and the cost of living crisis, it is unsurprising that students may be looking for cheaper alternatives to drinking in clubs.

Photo by Redd F on Unsplash

The pandemic however did lead to more virtual book clubs, and these are particularly popular as a way to connect without needing to attend at a specific place. 

Interestingly, the article discusses the way that many women have found solace in book clubs as a ‘safe space’ in which to meet (in person or virtually) and socialise, a place previously often occupied by sporting clubs, which may not appeal to everyone. 

Lonely and isolated young people, perhaps moving to the City for work following university, are finding that they can find a like-minded community of people, which can then springboard into real-life friendships.  Such groups as this often offer more than just a discussion on books and reading, often spilling over into brunches, nights out, and walking groups.  One such local group I came across for the under 30s even offered a meet-up on Boxing Day in order to walk, chat, and have a pub lunch for those who may be spending Christmas away from family and friends.  (Or presumably, who may need a break from family gatherings!)

A more surprising twist comes with a report that public libraries are becoming the meeting place for hook-ups.  As this piece shows, the phenomena of ‘dark academia’ (categorised as ‘an internet aesthetic and subculture concerned with higher education, the arts, and literature, or an idealised version thereof’, Wikipedia) is inspiring some to take their reading habits and meet-ups seriously, dressing for the part and meeting in public institutions in order to socialise and work on what’s important to them, such as goal setting, journaling, and writing.

Photo by Johnny Briggs on Unsplash

As this report confirms, both Gen Z and Millennials are using the public libraries in the US in growing numbers and at higher rates than any other generation, both in person and digitally.  What is also interesting in this research is that Black Gen Z and Millennials are using these institutions in even larger numbers than their white counterparts.  

It isn’t all about reading, however.  These spaces appear to offer a more relaxed and safe place in which to work or read, either alone or meet up with friends, and again, this could be a reaction to the pandemic.  I know from speaking with others who work with young people that they have noticed anecdotally an increase in this generation being avoidant of louder social spaces and preferring smaller groups and quieter hobbies.  For a generation often more used to sharing their lives on-screen, the public library offers a way to socialise without pressure, perhaps.  Plus, many public libraries now have access to more than just books, with gaming clubs, board game nights, and reading groups just a few of the activities regularly on offer.

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As an extra bonus to the #BookTok popularity, apparently library-related content does well, and I have noticed a huge number of YouTube channels also devoted to these themes.  Apparently, there is also a turn towards hard-copy books as their digital counterparts don’t make very good props for filming content.  And as the report mentioned above suggests, why buy a book when you can borrow a copy from your local library?  For cash-strapped content creators, this is a bonus.  

A term I discovered recently from another Substack newsletter, All by our Shelves, refers to the sociological term ‘a third-place’.  Like the best reticular activation, I spotted it again whilst researching this piece in the form of libraries. 

The term, coined in 1989 by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, is used to describe a place separate from home and work as a place to gather and socialise comfortably.  As the Guardian piece points out, Gen Z did not have as much access to such third-places during the pandemic as their parents had when forming the socialisation rituals of their youth.  The library is positioned as such a place, where everyone is welcome and it is free to attend, unlike bars or coffee shops, which are expensive and can become noisy and crowded.

With libraries constantly under threat of funding cuts, both in the UK and US, the Gen Z reading revival couldn’t come at a better time.  I know in my own corner of the world, two of the three closest libraries are community-led, run entirely by volunteers.  With reports in the US of trolling against librarians due to right-wing banning of books, amongst other issues, librarians need support to allow them to provide safe spaces for both employees and visitors.  

As one young library volunteer states in this piece, libraries are being rediscovered, not as “something new, but for what they’ve always been: a shared space of comfort.”  

Long may this last, along with the book clubs, reading groups, and read-alongs they inspire - whatever your age.  

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