Book clubs are becoming increasingly popular in the UK as people search for offline connection and community. According to Eventbrite, there has been a 350% increase in book club listings in the past four years, with more than 127,000 people attending these events. Meetup has also reported that “book club” has returned to the top ten most searched events, following a decline in popularity in 2021.
Book clubs are no longer just about reading. They offer a space for people to connect and escape from their screen-dominant lives. The Lonely Girls Club, founded by Holly Cooke, started as a friendship network for women, and recently expanded to include book clubs in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Nottingham. Cooke said that the rise of book clubs is a testament to our longing for deeper connections.
There are plenty of book clubs for people with specific interests, communities and genres. For example, the Little Gay Book Club provides a safe space for LGBTQ+ individuals to explore literature that resonates with their lived experiences. The Crime and Nourishment Book Club & Social Dining Group combines literature with culinary delights, while the Virtual Knitting Book Club brings together literature enthusiasts who share a passion for knitting.
Platforms such as TikTok and Instagram have played a key role in this resurgence, with #BookTok amassing over 35 million posts. Gen Z icons like singer Dua Lipa and model Kaia Gerber have launched their own clubs, bringing fresh faces and voices to the literary fold.
Book clubs also offer a digital detox in an era of digital overload, with many sober book clubs providing a refuge from the alcohol-centric culture of traditional social gatherings. Instead, people are seeking non-consuming spaces that cater to community and diversity. Book clubs provide a structured and welcoming environment for people to meet each other in person, and The Feminist Book Club in Glasgow has grown from a small group to having 25 to 40 attendees per event
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