Why book clubs are having a moment in Singapore and how joining one can be good for you

As a lifelong book lover, I never believed in the “reclusive bookworm” stereotype. Whenever I read a novel, a memoir, a book series or even manga, I always felt the urge to discuss them with someone – anyone – willing to hear me out.
Yes, as an extrovert, I enjoy talking to people in general, but there’s a strong pull among bookworms, extroverted and otherwise, to talk about their reads.
And from the looks of it, I’m not alone. Book clubs, it seems, are having a moment in Singapore.
Thanks in part to the National Library Board (NLB)’s National Reading Movement, there are numerous book clubs run in English, Malay, Tamil and Chinese in various libraries across the country. NLB’s LearnX Communities, a set of interest groups supported by NLB that bring reading culture beyond the library walls, has 70 programmes focused on reading with 15 to 60 participants each.
Beyond the library, Book Bar, a bookstore cafe at Duxton Road with a focus on local and regional literature, holds regular book events with around 30 to 60 attendees. 
And these numbers don’t even include ground-up book clubs.
Associate Professor Loh Chin Ee, the deputy head of research in the English language and literature department at the National Institute of Education, whose research interests include reading cultures and the role of libraries, noted that in previous decades, book clubs in public were primarily run by libraries or bookstores.
But these days, you’ll find book clubs initiated by your passionate everyday bookworm.
Three such community-led book clubs include the Book Lovers Club, which explores titles on relationships; the Quiet Readers’ Club, where attendees come with a book to read with others in silence; and The Saturday Book Club, where participants can bring any non-fiction title. The latter, in particular, can sometimes attract over a hundred participants for a session. 
On the events platform Eventbrite, there are more than a hundred book club listings for 2024, with around 20 scheduled just for November. On Meetup, another event-listing site, there are over 4,600 active members in the local book club category.
So what accounts for the recent book club renaissance? The first reason has to do with a post-pandemic desire for connection. 
“It’s not a coincidence that the increase in the appeal of book clubs took place after the pandemic,” said Ibrahim Tahir, the bookseller and founder of Wardah Books, a bookshop in Kampong Glam. “People are moved to recognise that there is no substitute to in-person, face-to-face discussion”. 
The COVID-19 pandemic was a time defined by staying indoors, social distancing and being more chronically online than ever. Book clubs, grounded in in-person conversations, serve as a balm for that period of isolation.
“We are inherently social and talking about a good book in a book club is one way to meet like-minded individuals over a shared purpose,” Professor Loh added. 
“The book as the anchor of the book club also sets book clubs apart from other in-person activities,” she continued. 
Unlike other in-person events like running clubs or concerts, social gatherings grounded on books can seem more intimate. Participants can often feel more vulnerable and authentic as book clubs nudge you to talk to others based on shared experiences and interests in ideas and stories.
And even if you’re terrified of the idea of baring your soul in front of a bunch of strangers, the books themselves become a safe harbour of sorts. You can always shift the conversation to its stories rather than your own personal experiences.
Hew Chin Yi, a 30-year-old book club enthusiast, noted that many attendees at the book clubs she goes for are “introverts who may find social activities daunting”.
It’s why book clubs are a favourite. They offer her a “stress-free environment to read” and discuss both personal encounters and the stories of characters without feeling pressured to share too much about her own life, she said. 
Local reads are a contributor to this phenomenon, too. Elfarina Roszaini, who co-founded the local literature book club No Readgrets in 2018, said that the growing interest in local literature, or “Sing lit”, is a reason for the rise of book clubs here. 
“Sing lit is a doorway to understand and talk about the various issues faced in this country,” the 33-year-old partnerships manager said. “And book clubs allow people a safe space to discuss and connect with others on those issues.
“They offer a way to resist the forces of isolation and individualism by bringing people together around stories based in Singapore.”
The joys of reading are endless, and the same could be said for book clubs. 
For starters, while reading a book can deepen your understanding of a subject, book clubs take that level of understanding notches higher. 
“They’re a way to deepen participants’ understanding of the book, the ideas raised by the book and the world in which these ideas exist,” Professor Loh said. “Insight is generated in the group setting when multiple individuals come together to reflect, evaluate and share.”
She added: “We leave a book club feeling good because we have learnt something new, whether about the book, some idea or even about ourselves.”
Jia Li Lee, the founder of The Saturday Book Club, highlighted that about 61 per cent of their participants “keep coming back for the monthly sessions because they want to learn from others through their book sharing”.
The participants of the monthly non-fiction book club see learning from book clubs as an “important value”, and Ibrahim called the learning you gain “lifelong learning in action”. 
“We already know that reading benefits society, so you can be certain that book club multiplies this benefit,” he said.
These reading groups also ground their attendees in the physical experience of a community, especially in a time when lots of communities are only facilitated online. 
“Book clubs can give participants a stronger sense of community through shared understanding,” Elfarina said.
Lee echoed this: “Book clubs provide a sense of belonging, especially in an age where people are looking for ways to connect beyond social media.”
There’s also the value of friends. Hew added that book clubs are also the perfect platform for an introvert like her to interact with others and make friends (again, proving my point on the myth of the “reclusive bookworm”). 
“I feel overwhelmed by socialising yet I feel lonely if I don’t have social events,” Hew said. “Attending a book club gives me the safe space to get some social energy without draining me too much.” 
Interested in widening your worldview and joining a book club in Singapore? Here are a few of the many you can consider. 
1. The Saturday Book Club
A non-fiction book club where attendees BYOB – bring your own book – and discuss their books with other participants in small groups of four to five people.
Next session: Nov 16, 2024
Free admission, register via Eventbrite.
2. Quiet Readers Club 
This unique club lets readers come together, read in silence, and socialise by discussing their respective reads with other participants.
Next session: Nov 24, 2024
Price: S$18/person, register via Instagram DM.
3. Singapore Literature Book Club 
A book club that discusses books by both well-known and emerging Singaporean authors touching on topics close to home. 
Next session: Dec 12, 2024 
Free admission, register via Eventbrite.
4. Pretzel Book Club by Wardah Books
A book club for children that discuss stories for kids aged nine to 13.
Next session: Dec 28, 2024
Free admission, no registration required.
5. Bookworm Banter by Book Bar SG 
A reading event where bookworms gather to read and and discuss the books they’re reading with other book lovers.
Next session: TBC
Price: S$20/person
Finally, there’s something to be said about the way books and book clubs slow us down and improve our well-being.
Book clubs inherently motivate people to read books, or at least to pick one up. And in a fast-paced society such as Singapore, perhaps reading and discussing what we read can be an antidote to the rushed and anxiety-induced lifestyles many of us are too familiar with.
“The secret gift of reading is time,” Ibrahim said, quoting a refrain commonly used in Wardah Books. 
“Reading slows you down and allows you to actively engage in ideas that require pause to process, challenge, or integrate, in the ‘gymnasium of the mind’ that is the book,” he explained.
Now, with book clubs, readers can slow down while enjoying another gift – namely, companionship.