Photo credit: Cody Pickens for O, The Oprah Magazine
"It’s just the most amazing thing to see the introvert revolution literally remaking the way we organize society — this time, the world of book clubs."
Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
Silent Book Club is a global community of readers and introverts, with more than 500 chapters in 50 countries around the world led by local volunteers. SBC members gather in person and online to read together in quiet camaraderie.
Silent Book Club started in 2012 with a couple of friends—Guinevere de la Mare and Laura Gluhanich—reading in companionable silence at our neighborhood bar in San Francisco. We loved books, and reading with friends, but most of our previous attempts at book clubs had fizzled out.
Often with traditional book clubs there's the scramble to finish the assigned book, and the pressure to have something smart to say. Wouldn't it be great to have a book club where you could just enjoy books, friends, and drinks—without any homework? At Silent Book Club, there's no assigned reading.
We started Silent Book Club because reading with friends enriches our lives and makes us happy. We love hearing about what people are reading (often in their other book clubs) and we think it's important to put down our phones and be social. Real, live, breathing-the-same-air social, not hearting-you-on-Instagram social.
Silent Book Club is about community. Everyone is welcome, and anyone can join or launch a chapter. We encourage people all over the world to start their own Silent Book Clubs. All you need is a friend, a comfy public setting, and a book. We have active chapters around the world in cities of all sizes, and new chapters are being launched by volunteers every week.
Interested in starting your own Silent Book Club? Here's how.
Silent Book Club cofounders Guinevere de la Mare and Laura Gluhanich
Find Silent Book Club on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or contact us here.
Silent Book Club® is a registered trademark of Silent Book Club LLC (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reg no. 5798692). All rights reserved.
