Spotlight: Baca Bareng Silent Book Club Jakarta

In April, more than 260 people gathered in Taman Langsat park in South Jakarta, Indonesia, with one shared purpose: to read together in community. No admission fees. No ticket limits. No sponsors or ads. Just one uninterrupted hour of reading in nature.

Hestia Istiviani, the founder of Silent Book Club Jakarta, or Baca Bareng as it's known locally, is part of a global network of volunteer organizers who believe in the power of reading to unite people and host in-person meetups in their local neighborhoods. 

"The more I host silent reading sessions with Baca Bareng Silent Book Club Jakarta, the more I believe that reading is indeed political act," says Hestia. "I am not talking about our reading materials only, but also the place I choose to host our monthly agenda: a public park."

More than 1700 official chapters of Silent Book Club meet up in person in public spaces around the world. Venues range from local libraries and bookstores to bars, cafes, and restaurants. Unlike some other reading parties that charge admission, Silent Book Clubs are free, inclusive, and accessible to all. 

"Choosing a public park means a lot: its inclusiveness to every type of reader means there's no requirement to buy food and beverages—just bring your own snack. You can dress comfortably and bring along your family or colleagues without worrying about any extra charge, and read anything you want—or listen if you choose audiobooks." 

These meetups not only offer book lovers an uninterrupted hour of reading, they also invite people to make real life, face-to-face connections with others who share similar interests. Since 2012, Silent Book Club has offered introverts and extroverts alike a winning formula for community building: Each meetup starts with 30 minutes of socializing to meet new people and share what you're reading, followed by an hour or silent reading. At the end of the hour, participants can choose to stick around for another half-hour of conversation, book swaps, or a group photo.

Silent Book Club is not just a social gathering, it's a social movement. The global organization's mission is to strengthen local communities and bring people together through a shared love of books. The US-based founders are outspoken in their commitment to supporting public libraries and independent bookstores, speaking out against book bans, and fighting for intellectual freedom and public media. 

The political power of reading is important to Hestia in Jakarta, as well. "Reclaiming a public park is also our way of showing our representatives that we have the right to use it. We demand to make it even better and comfortable." Indeed, hundreds of readers turning out for the monthly Baca Bareng meetup sends a clear message: "Yes please, optimize our public parks!"