Belfast book clubs are challenging ideas of how and why we read
Órla Mallon
Hearing the phrase “book club” brings to mind something your mum might have gone to in times gone by. A seemingly outdated, and not exactly inspiring activity. In the era of podcasts, audiobooks, Netflix and social media, there is an abundance of options vying for our attention. It begs the question: are book clubs really necessary? Why read books with others or, indeed, why read at all? Two Belfast-based book clubs are challenging these ideas: asking what kind of books are worth reading, and why should we read them together?
Jess Crisp, President of Queen’s University Belfast’s feminist and equality society, noted that when founding the society in January, the book club was a key idea from the start: “The goal was to create a space for like-minded people to share opinions and learn more from feminist literature”.
Jess explains that the book club reads all sorts of literature, from fiction to non-fiction to poetry. “Typically, they all focus around themes of social issues and feminism, they’re chosen from a mix of committee favourites and recommendations from members”. The texts they read at the book club provide a refreshing change from classic literature, instead highlighting contemporary social and gender issues.
Lockdowns and coronavirus have made in-person book club meetings very difficult for the last year and a half. Jess explains that so far, all the meetings have been online: “We just join the call and sit down and discuss what we thought… It’s very informal, friendly and all-around good fun!”. She does say that the book club is looking forward to finally holding their meetings in person - and this is a great opportunity for new members to join. “It’s a great way to meet people, and it’s completely casual – even if you’ve only read half the book you’re so welcome!”
Another local book club with a terrifying twist is the Readers in the Rue Morgue, a horror-based book club set up in 2021. Founding member Victoria Brown commented on her motivation for creating the book club: “I’d always wanted to join a book club but could never find one that read exclusively horror… so I started my own.” Victoria explains the name Readers in the Rue Morgue is inspired by the short story ‘The Murders in the Rue Morgue’, by the legendary horror writer Edgar Allan Poe. Victoria comments: “Horror fans always seem to get alienated by other readers… so we tend to form our own little communities. Our book club meets on the first Thursday of the month. We had our first meeting in July 2021 and we have about 30 members. We have read Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians.”
Horror fiction takes in a huge variety of works and authors, and still appeals to a wide range of readers, and if the Readers in the Rue Morgue aren’t proof enough, I asked Victoria about the enduring appeal of horror fiction and why it remains so popular: “Horror isn’t so much a genre as it is a mode. So much can be explored through a lens of horror, and you can tailor your reads exactly to your tastes”, Victoria explains that the horror genre spans everything from “emotional ghost stories, or cheap slashers, to twisted love stories and intelligent social commentary.” The versatility of the genre appeals to many new readers.
After 18 months of national lockdowns and social restrictions, a book club is a fantastic way to get to know new people. As mental health issues become a bigger problem than ever, reading is also an effective way of improving mental health. Victoria stresses the social benefits of book clubs, “a sense of community is really important, and it’s always nice to know you have people out there who share your interests – it makes you feel less alone.” This sense of community is vital to any book club, and Victoria adds that new members are more than welcome to join in, “whether you’re a die-hard Stephen King fan or never read a horror book in your life.”
More information on both the QUB feminist and equality society book club and the Readers in the Rue Morgue can be found on Facebook, and new members are more than welcome.
Órla Mallon is a Culture Reporter and undergraduate Liberal Arts student at Queen's University Belfast.