Shh... the rise of the silent book club

BBC News

05-05-2025

A bell goes off. Chatter dies. The only sound is rustling pages and creaking chairs.The silent book club is in session.Members of one of many new chapters of this growing trend have gathered in an annex of the Board & Bean board game cafe in Chesterfield, in Derbyshire.They begin with a quick chat, largely concerning the popularity and the high number of Greggs shops in the town (apparently, it's six).
And then, organiser Emma Bent - e-reader in hand - calls for silence.For the next hour, no-one speaks at all. Barely anyone looks at their phone, or each other.They're simply absorbed in their books.
'Like parallel play'
For Ms Bent, 40, that is what makes the event special and why she runs four a month.She says: "To know everyone is going back to their world in the book, whatever that world may be - whether it's Middle Earth, a dystopian future or the here and now with some detective sleuthing through the city - it's comforting to be around."It's very relaxing and mindful."And I think the social aspect appeals to people. Even though we're sat in silence for an hour, it is a social club."Unlike traditional book clubs, readers can bring any book they want.The hour of silent reading is followed by a discussion about the books everyone is reading.One woman studies a science fiction publication from her university course, while a man in headphones flicks through The Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan.
Victoria Ruck, 22, has never been in a traditional book club before, and feels this is helping her read more again."It's a bit like parallel play," she says. "It's nice to have other people reading because I feel forced to read."The start is a bit like when you're at a sleepover and waiting to see who's going to stop talking first."But the fun of it is being a little bit awkward, but quite sweet as well."Biddy Ronelle, 35, is reading Captain Corelli's Mandolin."I love books," she says. "But I don't like reading what everyone else reads."I don't want to be bound to a time limit to how quickly I could read something."The difference from home is it gets you out the house, you meet people and while you wouldn't normally ask people what they're reading, you do here."
Growing popularity
The original Silent Book Club was founded by friends Guinevere de la Mare and Laura Gluhanich in San Francisco in 2012."We were saying how hard it is to stay engaged with a regular book club - maybe you don't want to read the book, or you can't make the dates," Ms Gluhanich told the BBC."It's also incredibly difficult to unplug and stop scrolling and swiping nowadays. This is such a great opportunity to do that."People say you can do that at home, but it's hard to not pick up your phone, to run an errand."She added it was different to a library because people were part of a regular, organised group - and most libraries don't serve drinks.By 2023, they had 500 chapters. Now, the group says it has more than 1,600 chapters in 54 countries, including about 100 in the UK.According to Eventbrite, the number of silent book clubs being organised in the UK in the beginning of 2025 increased by 460%, compared to the same period in 2024."I think it's down to a resurgence in people looking for third spaces," said Ms Gluhanich. "Getting out and socialising in ways that aren't focused on drinking or dating."This is one of the easiest ways to go out and socialise and talk, you get to do it in a way that's not pressured and there's a baseline topic."
Back in Chesterfield, the bell has rung to signal the end of the reading session.A few awkward laughs and shuffling of chairs, and some members make their excuses and leave immediately.Others stay to discuss what they've read, going round the room to share their thoughts.People who had been quiet during the social chat at the beginning of the meeting open up for the literary discussion.It's five-star reviews from the 10 attendees. Just one plot twist at the end, from 61-year-old Jane Gill."Maybe comfier chairs would be nice," she adds.